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Pontejos catches fire vs RK Hoops-QC as Akari-Rizal closes in on WMPBL Finals

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Akari-Rizal delivered a dominant 93-67 victory over RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT in Game 1 of the semifinals, moving within one win of a return to the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Finals on Sunday at the Parañaque Coliseum.

The Sparks turned a 12-point first-quarter lead into a commanding 30-point advantage after unleashing a 19-1 run, capped by three consecutive three-pointers from Janine Pontejos, to build a 44-14 cushion with 34 seconds left in the first half.

Akari never looked back from there, cruising to draw first blood in the best-of-three semifinal series of the tournament backed by Aktive.

WMPBL-2nd-Reg-Season-Semis_-Akari-vs-QC_-PRADO-Mar-06110 Pontejos catches fire vs RK Hoops-QC as Akari-Rizal closes in on WMPBL Finals Basketball News WMPBL  - philippine sports news

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“I think we were able to jump on them early. We were able to score (the first 14) points ata early, and we wanted to dictate the tempo. That’s what we wanted,” said Sparks head coach Derrick Pumaren.

“But as I told the players, we cannot just rely on lamang kami and run away from what we’re doing. That’s not the right way. Kailangan we stick to the system,” he added.

Pontejos turned in her best performance for Akari-Rizal, finishing with 24 points on six three-pointers while adding three assists.

Mar Prado also regained her form, tallying 18 points and six rebounds. Raiza Palmera-Dy recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists, along with four rebounds and two steals.

Allana Lim contributed seven points and four rebounds, while Camille Sambile and LJ Candelario chipped in six points apiece.

The Sparks’ offense clicked from the opening tip, shooting 47-percent from the field and 42-percent from beyond the arc. The team also dished out 32 assists in a wire-to-wire victory.

WMPBL-2nd-Reg-Season-Semis_-Akari-vs-QC_-FERRER-Tantoy-06253 Pontejos catches fire vs RK Hoops-QC as Akari-Rizal closes in on WMPBL Finals Basketball News WMPBL  - philippine sports news

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RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT, meanwhile, struggled despite the return of star forward Tantoy Ferrer, who nearly posted a triple-double with 21 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists in 35 minutes of action.

Jeorge Panti, who starred in their semifinals-clinching win over Pasig, finished with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds while also handing out five assists.

Akari-Rizal will look to punch its ticket to the finals, while RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT aims to force a winner-take-all Game 3 when the two teams meet in Game 2 on July 11 at 6:00 PM.


The Scores:

Akari-Rizal 93 – Pontejos 24. Prado 16, Palmera-Dy 15, Lim 7, Sambile 6, Candelario 6, Abatayo 5, Angeles 5, Salapong 3, Adlawan 2, Nagma 2, Ventura 0, Flor 0, Del Prado 0

RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT 67 – Ferrer 21, J. Panti 11, Molina 7, Dela Cruz 6, Larosa 5, Alcantara 4, Antonio 4, Isip 3, F. Panti 2, Docallos 2, Buendia 2, Aragon 0, Young 0, Dampios 0, Quaipo 0

Quarterscores: 25-13, 52-24, 70-46, 93-67

The post Pontejos catches fire vs RK Hoops-QC as Akari-Rizal closes in on WMPBL Finals appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.

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NLEX crushes Titan Ultra, stays unbeaten for solo PBA Group A lead

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ANTIPOLO — NLEX netted their third win in as many games after dealing Titan Ultra yet another disappointing loss, 135-100, to grab the solo lead in Group A of the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup on Tuesday at the Ynares Center here.

Not wanting a repeat of their near-collapse versus Terrafirma the last time out in Montalban, the Road Warriors played more consistently this time, building a big lead in the second chapter before breaking away for good in the fourth.

The crew actually lost in the third canto when they allowed the opposition to get as close as nine behind a 39-point production, but quickly restored order before the quarter ended, and then put it away not long after to keep their record intact.

Deschon Winston led NLEX with 30 points alongside nine rebounds and six assists, with Robert Bolick dropping 29 points and seven rebounds in easily his best game scoring-wise since Coach Jimmy Alapag took over.

Import DeQuan Jones finished with 22 points and six rebounds, while Kevin Alas tallid a 14-5-4 stat line to lead the bench mob in the victory.

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NBBF Will Continue To Lubricate Fan Belts Of Talent Production In Nigeria – Musa Kida

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The president of Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF), Engineer Ahmad Kusa Kida has come out with a bold pledge that the governing body for the giants’ sport will continue ‘lubricating the fan belts of talent production’ to ensure that more players are produced for the future.

Sports247 reports that Engineer Kida gave the assurance while commenting on the recent feat of the country’s cadet men’s national team in winning the FIBA Africa Zone 3 U18 Championship in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Read Also: Engineer Ahmad Musa Kida Gets Excited With Array Of Basketball Talents Emerging Across Nigeria | Sports247 Nigeria

Kida was beaming with delight, after seeing the team win all four of their matches to top Zone 3 and secure automatic qualification for the finals, scheduled for August 3rd to 6th in Côte d’Ivoire, where they will play along with the country’s females, who earlier secured automatic qualification.

The U18 Tigers pulled off a perfect 4-0 record by defeating Benin Republic 96-35 and 101-43 as well as trouncing Burkina Faso 98-54 and 100-54 in their double-layered games to emerge champions of the sub-region and qualified for the Africa FIBA U18 Championship.

With attention now shifting to the continental assault, Kida revealed that the NBBF is already working hard to consolidate the results ahead of the 2026 U18 AfroBasket and gave credit to collective effort from every member of the federation’s board for the conquest in Ouagadougou.

“The NBBF shall continue to lubricate the fan belts of the talent production factories of the game in Nigeria,” Kida submitted, while pointing out that the current leadership of basketball in the country is prioritising efforts in grassroots development, without neglecting other aspects of the game.

The post NBBF Will Continue To Lubricate Fan Belts Of Talent Production In Nigeria – Musa Kida appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.

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Joaquin Tovera finds home at La Salle, puts family above all

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Joaquin Tovera has found his new collegiate home.

Days after announcing his decommitment from the University of the Philippines, the reigning FIBA U18 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers Most Valuable Player has committed to De La Salle University, being eligible starting UAAP Season 89.

For the 18-year-old guard, the decision went beyond basketball.

“At the end of the day, family was the biggest reason behind my decision,” Tovera said.

“I’ve always been closest to the people who have supported me since day one, and knowing I’ll be in an environment where I can be near them gives me a lot of peace and confidence. That support system means everything to me, and I believe it will help me become a better player and an even better person.”

Tovera has deep connections with the Cortez family, having previously played alongside Mikey Cortez during their time with Tumakbo Basketball.

UAAP-89-Jacob-Cortez-x-Gregg-Rivera-x-Joaquin-Tovera-x-Mike-Cortez-x-Mikey-Cortez Joaquin Tovera finds home at La Salle, puts family above all Basketball DLSU News UAAP  - philippine sports news

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The relationship extends beyond the court, with La Salle legend Mike Cortez being the cousin of Gregg Rivera, Tovera’s uncle, making the Green Archers a familiar environment for the young playmaker.

His commitment comes just days after he revealed that he was reopening his recruitment despite seeing action for the Fighting Maroons during the 2026 Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup.

During his brief stint with UP, Tovera contributed across three games, tallying six points, five assists, and two steals against De La Salle. He followed with seven points and three assists versus Far Eastern University, before making his first start against Mapua in the quarterfinals.

He also suited up for Gilas Pilipinas Boys in the same tournament, averaging 18.5 points and 7.0 assists per contest.

Now set to wear the green and white, Tovera is eager to begin the next chapter of his basketball journey.

“I’m really excited to join De La Salle University and become part of such a proud basketball program,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to learning from the coaches, competing with my new teammates, and doing everything I can to help us succeed. I can’t wait to get to work.”

Despite his move, Tovera stressed that he leaves UP with nothing but appreciation for the Fighting Maroons.

“I’ll always be grateful to UP for welcoming me into the program and believing in me,” he said.

“The coaches, my teammates, and everyone behind the team treated me with so much respect, and I’ll always appreciate the opportunity they gave me. I have nothing but gratitude for my time there and wish UP nothing but success moving forward.”

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