Farm Fresh taps Yeny Murrilo for Reinforced Conference

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Yeny Murrilo is Farm Fresh Foxies’ import for the PVL Reinforced Conference.

MANILA, Philippines — Farm Fresh parades Colombian outside spiker Yeny Murrilo in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference starting on July 16 at Philsports Arena.

The Foxies on Friday evening announced their reinforcement for their first-ever import-laden tournament since joining the league last year.

Murillo, who turned 25 on Friday, is already in Manila, training with Farm Fresh.

The 6-foot spiker, who played for Arizona Western College and Grand Canyon University, is bringing her experience from seeing action in overseas club leagues in Greece, France, Cyprus, and Czechia.

READ: PVL Draft: Farm Fresh still mulling its picks

Murillo will bolster the young Foxies Trisha Tubu, Kate Santiago, Caitlin Viray, Alyssa Bertolano, Louie Romero, and Rizza Cruz.

The Foxies will pick fourth overall in the Rookie Draft on Monday at Novotel.

Farm Fresh opens its campaign against Chery Tiggo on July 16.

The Foxies are slated in Pool A, which includes All-Filipino champion Creamline, PLDT, Galeries Tower, and Nxled.



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Forcing OT vs Georgia wasn’t an option for Gilas, says Tim Cone

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Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone’ after the Philippines’ loss to Georgia in the Fiba OQT group phase. –FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone said he didn’t want to risk going overtime against Georgia to try and salvage a win even with the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) semifinal berth secured.

When Gilas trailed Georgia, 93-96, with 14 seconds remaining, Cone called a timeout and decided with his coaching staff not to force extra regulation. The Filipinos then milked the clock before Chris Newsome drew a foul from Giorgi Ochkhikidze with 2.8 ticks left.

Newsome made his first shot but missed the second with Goga Bitadze even attempting to score off the putback in a bizarre move. Georgia won over Gilas, 96-94, but didn’t qualify for the next round, failing to win by 19 points.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT semifinals 2024

“We couldn’t go into overtime. We had an opportunity to shoot a three at the end to try and get us into overtime and play,” Cone said after the loss. “We just felt we didn’t want to give them an opportunity to try to extend the lead in overtime.” 

Cone, however, took the blame for Bitadze’s final attempt to force overtime.

“He missed a dunk follow-up, that was a bad coaching decision on my part. I should’ve had Newsome hold the ball and not even shoot that second free throw and get a violation,” Cone said. “That would’ve been a smart move. I blanked out and did not think about it. We were lucky we didn’t go into overtime.”

READ: Tim Cone says Gilas star Justin Brownlee ‘should be in the NBA’

Despite losing and finishing Group A with a 1-1 record, Cone is grateful to make it to the semifinal against Brazil on Saturday, inching two wins closer to the Paris Olympics.

“It’s the first time I felt good about losing and I just want to compliment our guys… they went down 20 and it could have been an easy panic time and they worked their way back into the game,” said Cone lauding his wards’ comeback from a sluggish first half.

“One little streak here or there, we could’ve been down by 30 and we’re going home, using those [flight] tickets we have for tomorrow. But they really showed their resilience.”



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Buddy Hield traded to Warriors from 76ers

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FILE – Philadelphia 76ers guard Buddy Hield (17) drives past Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden during the first half of an NBA basketball game March 24, 2024, in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

PHILADELPHIA— Buddy Hield played in 632 regular-season games and established himself as one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA before he finally played a postseason game. He can thank the Philadelphia 76ers for ending his dubious distinction of most NBA games without a playoff appearance by an active player.

If he wants to get there again, he’s going to have to try again in California — alongside Stephen Curry, no less.

The 76ers continued one of the busiest offseasons of any team in the league — thanks in large part to salary-cap space to spare — and orchestrated a sign-and-trade deal on Thursday that sends Hield to the Golden State Warriors for a 2031 second-round pick it received from the Dallas Mavericks, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press. ESPN reported that Hield was set to sign a two-year, $21 million contract with the Warriors.

READ: NBA playoffs finally beckon for 76ers’ Buddy Hield after 632 games

The Warriors were in the market for another dependable perimeter threat following the loss of Klay Thompson, who agreed to join the Mavericks as part of a sign-and-trade of a three-year, $50 million contract involving the Warriors, Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets. The 76ers are essentially getting a free second pick for helping facilitate that deal.

The Hield trade will become official after the league’s moratorium on signings is lifted on Saturday, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal cannot be announced by NBA rule until that time.

The 76ers on Thursday also announced they signed first-round draft pick Jared McCain. The Duke product is scheduled to participate in July in both the Salt Lake City Summer League and the NBA 2K25 Summer League 2024 in Las Vegas. McCain was selected by Philadelphia with the No. 16 overall pick in last month’s draft.

READ: Klay Thompson heading to Mavericks in NBA free agency

Golden State has continued adding to its roster in an offseason that general manager Mike Dunleavy has said will be important to rebuild the team after missing the playoffs. The Warriors and free agent forward Kyle Anderson were working to complete a three-year, $27 million contract, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations told the AP earlier in the week.

The 2022 NBA champion Warriors are trying to get back into the title hunt after missing the playoffs this past season.

The 76ers want to advance past the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

Paul George and the Sixers agreed to a $212 million, four-year free agent contract on Monday and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey agreed in principle to a $204 million, five-year extension with the team.

READ; NBA: Kyle Anderson, Warriors completing $27 million, 3-year deal

The 34-year-old George spurned the Los Angeles Clippers and declined a 2024-2025 player option in his contract with them to join a Sixers team that has been a perennial underachiever, even as Joel Embiid blossomed into one of the top players in the NBA.

The 76ers know that star shooters aren’t necessarily guaranteed to have success in Philadelphia.

Hield was acquired at last season’s trade deadline from Indiana for Marcus Morris Jr., Furkan Korkmaz and three second-round draft picks.

Hield had been one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA for years in both volume and makes. He hit at least 260 in four straight seasons with the Sacramento Kings and made a career-high 288 in 2022-203 with the Pacers. He averaged 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season.

He never found his groove in Philly. After Hield missed a total of four 3-point attempts in the first three games in the playoffs against the New York Knicks, coach Nick Nurse benched him in Games 4 and 5. Hield returned to the lineup for a Game 6 loss and shot 6 of 9 from 3-point range for 20 points.

It would be his last game with the Sixers.



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The 31-year-old Hield played in 57 games with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2016-17 and in 385 games for the Kings. He played in 158 games with the Pacers and 32 games with the Sixers before he made the postseason debut. Because of the trade, Hield actually played in 84 games last season. He also played for the Pacers in the In-Season Tournament title game in December, Game No. 85, which didn’t count toward the official total. Game No. 86 — the 76ers’ play-in win over Miami — pushed him into the playoffs.

Czechia sweeps Argentina for semis berth

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Czechia celebrates a point against Argentina in the FIVB Challenger Cup knockout quarterfinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Czechia sent Argentina packing with a 25-15, 25-22, 25-16 sweep to advance to the FIVB Challenger Cup semifinal on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Michaela Mlejnkova led the charge for the Czechs with 14 points off 13 attacks and a block, while Gabriela Orvosova backstopped her with 12 points including two blocks.

“It’s great because this was the hardest game I think of the competition. It’s a really important game because if you win you stay, if you lose you go home. So for us, it’s really important and yeah, I’m so happy we won,” said the 27-year-old outside spiker.

LIVE UPDATES: Alas Pilipinas vs Vietnam FIVB Challenger Cup

Helena Havelkova and Magdalena Jehlarova chipped in 10 and eight points, respectively. Czechia battles the winner of the Alas Pilipinas-Vietnam quarterfinal match in the knockout semis on Saturday.

Czechia star Michaela Mlejnkova

Czechia star Michaela Mlejnkova. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

“If you want to qualify for the VNL, you have to beat everyone so actually it doesn’t matter for us,” said Mlejnkova. 

 Mlejnkova is looking forward to experiencing the Filipino culture during their stay.

READ: FIVB Challenger Cup: Puerto Rico ousts Kenya to advance to semis

“It’s really interesting to see how this country is working and I think it’s good to see the country. We didn’t have much time to see something because we are in the hotel but yeah, I think maybe we’ll have time on Monday,” she said.

After dominating the first set, the Czechs needed to stave off a tough second-frame duel against the Argentinians, breaking a tie at 22- all. Katerina Valkova’s 1-2 play put Czechia ahead, 23-22, before Orvosova’s back row hit and Silvie Pavlova’s ace to take a commanding two-set lead en route to a dominant third-frame performance.

Argentina ended its Challenger Cup stint with just a game with Candelaria Lucia Herrera being the lone double-digit scorer with 10 points.



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Ryan Garcia expelled by WBC after racial slurs in livestream

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FILE – Super lightweight boxer Ryan Garcia speaks during a news conference at the MGM Grand hotel-casino Thursday, April 20, 2023, in Las Vegas. He was expelled by the WBC  on Thursday after he repeatedly used racial slurs against Black people and disparaged Muslims in comments livestreamed on social media. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP, File)

Ryan Garcia was expelled by the World Boxing Council on Thursday after he repeatedly used racial slurs against Black people and disparaged Muslims in comments livestreamed on social media.

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman announced the penalty against Garcia on the social media platform X.

“Exercising my authority as president of the WBC, I am hereby expelling Ryan Garcia from any activity with our organization,” Sulaiman posted. “We reject any form of discrimination.”

READ: Ryan Garcia suspended for a year; win over Haney ruled no-contest

Garcia posted an apology of sorts on X.

“I was trolling I want all the killing to stop,” Garcia wrote. “I love everyone sorry if I offended you.”

An attorney representing Garcia did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Last month, Garcia was suspended for a year by the New York State Athletic Commission, which also ruled that his April 20 victory over Devin Haney would be considered a no-contest after he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

He was also arrested on felony vandalism charges last month for reportedly causing around $15,000 worth of damage at a hotel in Beverly Hills.

The boxer also mocked George Floyd, the African-American man murdered by police in Minneapolis in 2020 whose death sparked worldwide protests. –With reports from Agence France-Presse



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Alas Pilipinas vs Vietnam FIVB Challenger Cup

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 FIVB Challenger Cup 2024 schedule of games July 5

Ninoy Aquino Stadium

3pm –  Czechia Republic vs Argentina
6:30pm – Philippines vs Vietnam

SCHEDULE OF PH GAMES HERE.

Alas Pilipinas’ Jema Galanza won’t play libero in Challenger Cup

Jema Galanza with fellow Alas Pilipinas players Cherry Nunag and Dell Palomata. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — After initially being listed as libero, Jema Galanza is back to her original position as an outside spiker in the FIVB Challenger Cup on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Two days before their knockout game against AVC Challenge Cup champion Vietnam, Alas Pilipinas coach Jorge Souza De Brito said that Galanza will no longer have to play as libero following a minor foot injury during their preparation.

“She is [doing] better and she’s ok. She will be a regular player,” De Brito told Inquirer Sports. FULL STORY

Missing players, reassigned roles hit Alas Pilipinas with reality check

Alas Pilipinas during a VNL meet and greet at Mall of Asia Arena.

Alas Pilipinas during a VNL meet and greet at Mall of Asia Arena.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Coming off the high of a historic achievement, Alas Pilipinas is beginning to feel some of the problems of maintaining a high-profile national pool.

Luckily, the women’s program has a few reinforcements coming its way.

National University (NU) ace and UAAP two-time MVP Bella Belen and multi awarded spiker Jema Galanza will bolster Alas Pilipinas when it takes on Vietnam on Thursday in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenger Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium. FULL STORY

After VNL success, PH plays host anew as Challenger Cup fires off

Team USA vs Japan Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2024 Filipino crowd

FILE–A general view of the crowd during a game between Team USA and Japan in the VNL 2024 at Mall of Asia Arena.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines looks to continue its string of successful hosting gigs with the FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup (VCC) for Women from Thursday to Sunday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

Behind the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF), the country will be hosting a third straight international competition this year with the VCC, which serves as a qualifier for the Volleyball Nations League.

Alas Pilipinas will see action in the VCC when it clashes with Vietnam in a knockout game on Friday at 6:30 p.m. following the 3 p.m. match between Argentina and the Czech Republic. FULL STORY



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Luka Doncic, Slovenia face Giannis, Greece in semis

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Luka Doncic and Slovenia advance to the knockout phase of the Fiba OQT in Piraeus, Greece. –FIBA PHOTO

Luka Doncic and Slovenia still have Olympic hopes. And so does the Philippines, much to its own surprise.

Doncic had 36 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and Slovenia beat New Zealand 104-78 on Thursday to clinch a semifinal spot in the Fiba OQT at Piraeus, Greece. Slovenia needed to win by at least 10 points to make the semifinals.

READ: Fiba OQT: Greece opens strong; Doncic, Slovenia still have chance

Slovenia’s opponent on Saturday is Greece, meaning it’ll be Luka Doncic and fellow NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo leading their squads — with the winner advancing to Sunday’s final with a berth in the Paris Olympics at stake, and the loser eliminated.

Josh Nebo had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Slovenia. Shea Ili led New Zealand with 28 points.

Fiba OQT semifinal matchups

The matchups for Saturday’s semifinals are taking shape.

At Valencia, Spain — Finland vs. Spain; Bahamas vs. Lebanon.

At Piraeus, Greece — Slovenia vs. Greece; Croatia vs. Dominican Republic.

At Riga, Latvia — Brazil vs. Philippines; Cameroon vs. Latvia.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT semifinals 2024

At San Juan, Puerto Rico — Lithuania vs. Italy or Puerto Rico; Italy or Puerto Rico vs. Mexico.

The finals at all four sites are Sunday, and those four winners go to the Paris Olympics.

Georgia 96, Philippines 94

Gilas Pilipinas Fiba OQT semifinals

Gilas Pilipinas headed to the Fiba OQT semifinals. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas lost but advanced to Saturday’s semifinals of their tournament in Riga, Latvia, anyway. That created a bit of an issue; the team had flights home scheduled for Friday.

“I guess we’re going to have to move them back a little bit,” Philippines coach Tim Cone said. “That’s how surprised we are to be here and talking to you guys. It’s the first time I’ve felt good about losing.”

HIGHLIGHTS: Gilas Pilipinas vs Georgia Fiba OQT July 4

Georgia needed to win by at least 19 points to have any chance of advancing.

Sandro Mamukelashvili led Georgia with 26 points and Goga Bitadze finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Justin Brownlee led all scorers with 28 points for the Philippines, adding eight rebounds and eight assists as well.

Finland 89, Poland 88

Down by 12 early in the fourth, Finland finished the game on a 25-12 run to keep its Olympic hopes alive and reach the semifinals.

Mikael Jantunen scored 20 for Finland, which got 18 from Alexander Madsen; those two players combined to shoot 12 for 13 from the floor.

A.J. Slaughter had 21 points and Jeremy Sochan added 20 for Poland, which was eliminated.

Greece 93, Egypt 71

At Piraeus, Antetokounmpo got the day off and Greece rolled into the semifinals anyway.

Konstantinos Mitoglou and Georgios Papagiannis each had 16 points for Greece, which got 15 from Kostas Popanikolaou.

Ahmed Metwaly scored 22 for Egypt, which was eliminated.

Cameroon 77, Brazil 74

Cameroon celebrates a win over Brazil in the Fiba OQT in Riga, Brazil.

Cameroon celebrates a win over Brazil in the Fiba OQT in Riga, Brazil. –FIBA PHOTO

At Riga, Cameroon won and advanced, Brazil lost and won its group anyway, and Montenegro really lost without even playing.

Jeremiah Hill led Cameroon with 22 points. Cameroon needed to win to advance to Saturday’s semifinals in Latvia; had it lost, Montenegro would have reached the semifinals.

Leo Meindl topped Brazil with 19 points. All Brazil had to do to win the group was win the game or lose by no more than six points; had Brazil lost by 15 or more, it would have been eliminated and Montenegro would have advanced.

Lebanon 74, Angola 70

Omari Spellman scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Lebanon moved into the semifinals of the qualifier at Valencia, Spain.

Karim Zeinoun added 15 for the winners, including a personal 7-0 run early in the fourth quarter when he turned a game that was tied at 49 into one in which Lebanon led 56-49 — and it wouldn’t trail again.

Gerson Goncalves scored 13 and Bruno Fernando added 12 for Angola, which was eliminated.

Mexico 92, Ivory Coast 81

At San Juan, Puerto Rico, Paul Stoll scored 23 points and added 11 assists, and Mexico erased a nine-point deficit in the second half to earn a semifinal spot.

Joshua Ibarra scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Mexico, which outscored Ivory Coast 24-12 in the fourth quarter to pull away.



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Nisre Zouzoua and Vafessa Fofana each scored 16 for Ivory Coast.

Mason Amos sorry for ‘unacceptable’ actions with Ateneo exit

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Mason Amos is leaving Ateneo Blue Eagles after just one UAAP season with the team and is reported to be moving to La Salle. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Following his controversial transfer to La Salle, Mason Amos broke his silence and apologized to Ateneo for not disclosing his final decision of his transfer to the team.

Amos, who is currently with Gilas Pilipinas in Latvia for the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OTQ), on Friday admitted that he was “not being considerate” with the way his decision to leave the Blue Eagles came to light.

“It’s been a tough week with a decision I made due to my reasons. However, my actions were unacceptable and not called for. Although I did mention the offer to the management, they weren’t informed about my final decision as well as my teammates because I felt that it was a personal decision for me and my family,” wrote Amos on X.

READ: UAAP: Mason Amos leaves Ateneo amid reported La Salle transfer

The news of 6-foot-7 Amos’ departure from Ateneo to reportedly take his act to archrival and Season 86 champion La Salle broke on Monday. He posted a lengthy goodbye to the Blue Eagles on his Instagram the day after.

“I will apologize for not being considerate. To my teammates, coaches, the community and the alumni I am sorry for my actions and I will own up to a mistake that could’ve been handled better,” Amos said. “I don’t expect forgiveness but I just hope for understanding. I do love Ateneo and I wish all the best.”

The Filipino-Australian big man impressed in his first and only season with the Blue Eagles, averaging 8.7 points and 3.3 rebounds. Ateneo reached the Final Four but got dethroned by the twice-to-beat University of the Philippines.

READ: UAAP: Geo Chiu ‘hurt’ over Mason Amos’ sudden Ateneo departure

La Salle has yet to officially confirm the acquisition of Amos, who will undergo a one-year residency and be eligible to play next year in UAAP Season 88.

Amos is part of Gilas’ bench in Riga, Latvia as the Filipinos chase a ticket to the Paris Olympics. They will face Brazil in the semifinal on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. (Manila time) in Riga.



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As deadline expires, Draft pool suddenly becomes ‘interesting’

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Converge coach Aldin Ayo

Converge coach Aldin Ayo admitted that the late addition of talented prospects have made the process of selecting the top overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft even tougher.

“The Draft has become interesting. It now has a deep pool,” Ayo told the Inquirer in Filipino as the deadline for applicants to submit their papers for the July 14 proceedings lapsed Thursday afternoon.

The PBA is set to release the full list of applicants on Friday, but interesting names cropped up before the league office closed at 5 p.m., with Filipino-American Sedrick Barefield and RJ Abarrientos announcing their entries.

That should require some soul-searching for Ayo and the FiberXers to pick the right man more than a week from now at Glorietta in Makati City, especially with names such as Justine Baltazar, Dave Ildefonso and Fil-Am Caelan Tiongson also part of the class.

Many see Baltazar as a sure first pick, given his talents and connections with the Converge franchise. But the entry of Barefield and Abarrientos could change that.

“They’ve been on our radar, but we will discuss with management on what our approach will be for the Draft,” Ayo added in Filipino.

The teams that will pick after Converge will then have a bevy of options, from Blackwater choosing second followed by Terrafirma, Phoenix and NorthPort, NLEX and Rain or Shine, which has the seventh overall acquired from the Bossing for the Rey Nambatac trade last February, and the eighth pick.

Highly touted prospect

Rounding out the first round are Magnolia, Barangay Ginebra, Philippine Cup champion Meralco and Commissioner’s Cup winner San Miguel Beer. The order was based on the teams’ positions during the two-conference Season 48, with 40 percent coming from the Commissioner’s Cup and 60 percent from the Philippine Cup.

Considered as a highly touted prospect, Barefield is taking his act to the PBA after coming off a campaign with the Taipei Fubon Braves, who competed in Taiwan’s domestic P.League+ and the East Asia Super League.

Barefield applied for the draft in 2022 and was projected to be among the top three picks, but encountered delays processing his Philippine passport.

Abarrientos, meanwhile, is set to follow the footsteps of his uncle, 1996 PBA MVP Johnny, after spending two seasons playing professionally in South Korea for the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus of the Korean Basketball League.



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He later on moved to Japan for the B.League’s Shinshu Brave Warriors, who later released Abarrientos after the end of the 2023-24 season.

Novel format spices up Reinforced PVL action

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Erica Staunton is Creamline Cool Smashers’ import for the PVL Reinforced Conference. –CREAMLINE PHOTO

A two-stage elimination round will be something new when the Reinforced Conference of the Premier Volleyball League gets off the ground on July 16, although the battle for the championship will be just for a single game which assures that no team will run under full speed the entire time.

The 12-team field will be divided into two groups in the first phase of classification, with the top teams from Pools A and B going on to clash with the bottom three teams from the opposite groups to form Pools C and D.

Following the preliminaries, teams will be ranked using the FIVB Classification System. The top eight squads will move on to the knockout quarterfinals. Winners will advance to the semifinals, which will also be decided in a do-or-die match. The top two teams from the semis will compete in a winner-take-all gold medal match, while the losers will battle for bronze.

Creamline headlines Pool A, which will also have Chery Tiggo, Farm Fresh, Galeries Tower, Nxled and PLDT, while defending champion Petro Gazz will be in the other pool together with Akari, Capital1, Cignal, Choco Mucho and Zus Coffee.

Opening day promises intense matchups, starting with the Highrisers, bannered by Brazilian reinforcement Monique Helena, facing the Nxled squad, which has yet to reveal its import, at 2 p.m. at PhilSports Arena.

Nxled is hoping to make the best out of picking fifth overall in the coming Draft after losing several standouts, including Ivy Lacsina and Dindin Santiago-Manabat in a swap with sister team Akari recently.

Lacsina was part of the package that also sent Cams Victoria, libero skipper Dani Ravena and main setter Kamille Cal to Akari. Manabat opted out of being included in that deal and terminated her contract with the Chargers to find her way into Choco Mucho.

At 4 p.m., American spiker Katherine Bell and the Crossovers will challenge Asaka Tamaru and the Foxies. The main event at 6 p.m. will see the Cool Smashers, led by Erica Staunton from the USA, against returning Russian hitter Lena Samoilenko and the PLDT High Speed Hitters. —Angel B. Dukha III



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