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FEU-D, UST exit NBA Rising Stars Invitational after tough group-stage losses

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UAAP champions Far Eastern University-Diliman and University of Santo Tomas saw their 2026 NBA Rising Stars Invitational campaigns come to an end after splitting their group-stage assignments at the OCBC Arena in Singapore.

The Baby Tamaraws and the Junior Growling Tigresses both opened their campaigns in impressive fashion.

FEU-D routed Singapore’s Hwa Chong Institution, 89-24, last Tuesday, while UST cruised past Mongolia’s Royal International School, 75-45.

However, both squads fell short in their decisive group matches on Thursday.

The defending UAAP girls’ basketball champions suffered a heartbreaking 81-78 loss to Australia’s Rowville Secondary College, while the reigning UAAP boys’ champions bowed to Japan’s Tottori Johoku High School, 81-75.

The victories completed perfect group-stage sweeps for Rowville and Tottori Johoku, allowing them to advance to the semifinals as the top teams from Pools B and D, respectively.

Earlier in the tournament, Rowville defeated Royal International School, 73-48, while Tottori Johoku overwhelmed Hwa Chong, 91-22, to secure their places in the knockout stage.

Trailing by six points, 81-75, with 15 seconds remaining, Sofia Petalcorin knocked down a three-pointer to keep UST’s hopes alive.

On the ensuing possession, Rhiane Perez came up with a steal from Bridgette Kata but missed a breakaway layup. Lea Pinuela grabbed the offensive rebound, but the Junior Growling Tigresses were unable to get another shot off before time expired.

2026-NBA-Rising-Stars-UST-def-Royal-International-Rhiane-Perez FEU-D, UST exit NBA Rising Stars Invitational after tough group-stage losses Basketball FEU News UST  - philippine sports news

(C) NBA Asia

Later in the evening, the Baby Tamaraws mounted a furious comeback after trailing by nine points with less than two minutes remaining. FEU-D trimmed the deficit to 79-75 following a JJ Dagcutan putback off a JB Cagurungan miss with 17 seconds left.

The Baby Tamaraws, however, could not complete the rally as Dwyne Enriquez missed two crucial free throws in the closing seconds, while Yuki Yamasaki converted his attempts from the line to seal the victory for the Japanese side.

Pinuela and Petalcorin paced UST against Rowville with 16 points apiece, while Perez posted eight points and 12 rebounds. Lhian Arabi also contributed seven points and 13 rebounds.

Tiedore Puoch powered Rowville with a dominant performance of 33 points and 19 rebounds. Vanessa Tavete added 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Kata chipped in 10 points and 12 rebounds.

For FEU-D, Cagurungan and Prince Cariño scored 16 points each, with Cariño also collecting eight rebounds. JA Lopez added 10 points.

Genji Fukumoto led Tottori Johoku with 22 points, highlighted by five three-pointers, while Philemon Talmon posted 20 points and 23 rebounds.

In FEU-D’s opening win over Hwa Chong, Cagurungan and Cariño spearheaded the attack with 22 and 21 points, respectively.

Meanwhile, in UST’s victory over Royal International School, Perez recorded 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Jesabel Anacan added 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The post FEU-D, UST exit NBA Rising Stars Invitational after tough group-stage losses 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.

The post NLEX crushes Titan Ultra, stays unbeaten for solo PBA Group A lead appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.

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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

(C) DLSU

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.”

The post Joaquin Tovera finds home at La Salle, puts family above all appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.

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