Stephen Curry leaves Daniel Padilla speechless, basketball fans roaring at MOA arena in 1-day Manila visit

By: Paolo Manuel C. Fule

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry left the Philippines wanting for more of him, and indeed, he said this will not be his last trip to the country as he finished his one-day only trip to Manila for his Under Armour promotional tour on September 5, Saturday.

He capped the day with a media question and answer at Raffles hotel in Makati followed by an exhibition game with selected high school cagers at the Mall of Asia Arena in the afternoon. Philippine actor and teen heartthrob Daniel Padilla had a meet-and-greet with him in a VIP lounge at Raffles Makati. “That might have been the first time, I’m guessing, he was speechless”, said Curry in the media press conference. It was reported recently that Stephen Curry surprisingly  followed Daniel Padilla on Twitter because the actor posted his collection of the champion layers’ signature shoes and merchandise.

Asked by this reporter if there is pressure going into the regular season being the efending champion and reigning MVP, the baby-faced Curry said “We feel like we’re still the team to beat. It’s going to be a different challenge for us. We’ve never defended an NBA championship before so it will be a new experience for us. All eyes are on our team and every other team is trying to knock us off our throne, so we have to be even better than we were last year to get back to the top.”

Wardell Stephen “Steph” Curry II or popularly known as Stephen Curry was born on March 14, 1988. He is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6’ 3” tall, Curry plays the point guard position and is considered by some to be the one of the greatest shooters in NBA history.  The 2015 NBA Most Valuable Player and a two-time NBA All-Star, is the son of former NBA player Dell Curry. In this year’s NBA finals, Curry carried his team into the championship, something that the Golden State Warriors franchise hasn’t repeated since 1975.

Red Lions, Heavy Bombers quash foes in NCAA cage opener

By: Paolo Manuel C. Fule

Six-peat seeking San Beda Red Lions and last year’s Final Four finalist Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers routed their respective rivals in the opening game of the 91^st National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Mall of Asia Arena, June 27 Saturday.

Sans San Beda big man Ola Adeogun and sharp-shooting guard Baser Amer due to injuries, the San Beda squad still managed to pound the host school Mapua Cardinals with a 102-89 victory. Art dela Cruz led all scorers with 27 points, 17 rebounds and 6 assists while Mapua’s Josan Nimes had 23 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Mapua’s Allwell Oraeme also had a good game on the defensive end with 13 points and 16 rebounds, but was haunted with foul troubles in the later part of the second half.        

In the second game of the opener, JRU Heavy Bombers thumped last year’s NCAA finalist Arellano University Chiefs with a 78-61 victory.

Both teams struggled offensively with a 40-28   at the end of the first half, and Arellano with a measly 12-of-39 field goal shooting clip.  JRU finished with 30-of-77 or 39% field goal shooting, while AU had 32 % from 24-of-76 or 32% field goal shooting.

JRU’s Abdoul Poutouochi led all scorers with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 1 block while AU’s Michael Salado scored a team best 15 points. Two-time NCAA MVP and Mapua Alumnus Alvin Patrimonio graced the event and took the stage for his message to the athletes before the start of the opening games.

The Scores:

SBC (102) Dela Cruz 27, Tankou 18, Tongco 18, Koga 16, Solera 11, Sara 6, Mocon 2, Presbitero 2, Sedillo 2, Cabanag 0, Soberano 0, Reyes 0, Bonsubre 0.

MIT (89) Nimes 23, Stevens 13, Oraeme 13, Menina 12, Serrano 10, Villasenor 8, Que 3, Raflores 3, Brana 2, Dela Rosa 2, Biteng 0, Nieles 0, Aguirre 0, Layug 0.

JRU (78) Poutouochi 23, Teodoro 11, AbdulWahab 9, Lasquety 8, Sanchez 7, Dela Paz 6, Grospe 6, Pontejos 4, Cruz 2, Aurin 2, Astilla 0, Balagtas 0, Dela Virgen 0.

AU (61)   Salado 15, Jolts 11, Enriquez 10, Cadavis 8, Bangga 5, Gumaru 5, Jalalon 4, Nicholls 3, Meca 0, Ongolo 0, Ortega 0, De Guzman 0, Zamora 0, Tano 0.

Email the author at paolomanuelfule@yahoo.com or text 09184059751.

San Beda’s Fil-Jordanian Samuel ‘Colossus’ Abuhijleh delivers in the hard court

By: Paolo Manuel C. Fule

He who controls the rebound, controls the game. For Samuel Fernandez Abuhijleh, he firmly believes in that adage. Well, if you are gifted with a 6’ 3” height and muscular physique, that will not be a problem.

Born Samuel F. Abuhijleh on October 1, 1998 in Calamba City, Laguna, the 6-foot-3 forward/center for the San Beda Red Cubs is definitely on the verge of basketball stardom. At 16 years of age, his trophies and achievements speak volumes of his good career ahead.

Sam’s career high in points is 46 during the MSSA League 2 years ago. His favorite shot is hook shot or floater. Sam’s favorite NBA player is Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin while in the PBA he looks up to Marc Pingris. In the NCAA, he likes San Beda Red Lions’ Art Dela Cruz while in the UAAP, he likes Rookie of the year Arvin Tolentino. “I had the chance to play with Arvin when he was still with San Beda. In my rookie year, he was already my idol. I always get the chance to play with him one-on-one”, quipped the beaming cager.

His team San Beda High School Rizal took home last year’s Palarong Pambansa champion, representing CALABARZON Region IV-A. This year, they will once again compete in the upcoming National Athletic Meet in Davao City after they won in the STCAA Meet. They are also the NCAA champions who completed a rare 6-peat title. Add to these is this year’s PSSBC tournament where they went on to win also as champions.

Sam wants to be a professional basketball player in the PBA someday. With the prestige of the team that he has to carry in his shoulders together with some of the remnants of the team, Sam is definitely on a mission this year. With the help of God and his determination to succeed in his chosen path, the road to glory should be on sight.

Email the author at paolomanuelfule@yahoo.com