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Thanks coach! China is just too strong.

I'm also glad Canada U21 is doing well so far.

Philippines U21 gets back on the winning track, overwhelms Singapore U21, 110-86 (79237)

Taipei, Taiwan -- Still reeling from that painful loss against China U21 last week, Philippines U21 vented their ire on Singapore U21, dominating them on both ends, 110-86. The first quarter was quite close, 31-25 in favor of Philippines U21, but the Filipinos surged ahead in the second quarter, scoring 34 points against Singapore U21's 17. The barrage continued in the third quarter, giving the 7-man Singapore U21 team no chance to recover.

At the forefront of the Filipinos' attack was Banjo Maximo Vargas, who scored 34 points on an efficient 14 of 20 field goal shooting, 5 of 8 from the rainbow country. Leonard Espeño added 18 points, while bigmen Seymour Stanley and Sam Castañeda Montezon each contributed 15 and 12 points, respectively.

Ulysses Maximo Martinez had a different mindset in this game and decided to solely focus on being the playmaker for the team. He contributed 15 assists in 29 minutes of gameplay, and 12 of those assists were all in the first half. His 15 assists ties the Philippines U21 record for most assists in a game. The record was previously set by Niel Mabunay in Season 22 against Macau U21, wherein he assisted 15 times in just 22 minutes, off the bench. Unfortunately, Martinez got injured late in the third quarter, so he hadn't had the chance to add on this feat.

Seah Yew Shi and Kum Fu Keong gave it their all for Singapore U21, as they led their team in scoring with 32 and 27 points, respectively. This will be Singapore U21's first loss in this tournament, and they will now sport a 3-1 win-loss record, tied with Japan U21 after their dominating win against Pakistan U21 earlier.

As for Philippines U21, they continue their journey towards a World Cup slot and a shiny trophy as they take on Hanguk U21 on the 12th of May, 6:00 PM (Manila time). Please continue to support our National Teams!

Points Leaders:
Banjo Maximo Vargas - 34 points
Leonard Espeño - 18 points
Seymour Stanley - 15 points

Rebounds Leaders:
Seymour Stanley - 10 rebounds
Sam Castañeda Montezon - 9 rebounds
Jeff Castro - 8 rebounds

Assists Leaders:
Ulysses Maximo Martinez - 15 assists
Banjo Maximo Vargas - 3 assists
Leonard Espeño - 3 assists
Sam Castañeda Montezon - 3 assists

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

- Leo

Last edited by Leo (Pilipinas U21) at 5/12/2025 7:22:36 AM

Leonard Espeño's 32-point outburst powers Philippines U21 to a 129-96 victory over Hanguk U21 (79240)

Taipei, Taiwan -- Leonard Espeño submitted his best showing of the tournament, so far, as Philippines U21 manhandles Hanguk U21 towards its third victory, 129-96. The sweet shooting wing fired on all cylinders as he went on to finish the game with 32 points, on a very efficient 12 of 16 shooting clip. He made 21 points in the first half, which helped tremendously in keeping the Koreans at bay. This huge win gives Philippines U21 a 3-1 win-loss record, which ties them with Singapore U21 in second place in Pool B. This win also gave the Filipinos a ticket to the second round.

The blowout nature of the game allowed the starters to rest in the fourth quarter, which led to huge contributions from the non-starters. Rojun Abono led the bench mob with 15 points and 3 assists, while Clyde Dexter Widagdo and Victor Perfecto Sumbang added 14 points each.

Seymour Stanley started the game once more, and he didn't disappoint as he hauled 11 rebounds, and swatted 4 shots. Jeff Castro also collected 11 rebounds off the bench.

After a record-setting passing performance in their previous game vs Singapore U21, Ulysses Maximo Martinez led the Filipinos in assists with 9, while Widagdo settled for 7 assists of his own.

Dong-Yul Choi and Kwang-Ha Park tried to steer Hanguk U21 to victory, but it wasn't enough to subdue their superior opponents. They each scored 18 points to lead the Koreans in scoring. WIth this loss, Hanguk U21's record now stands at 0-4, which removes them in contention for a second round spot.

Pakistan U21 (0-4) is up next on Philippines U21's calendar. The game is scheduled on the 19th of May, 6:00 PM (Manila time). Please continue to support our National Teams!

Points Leaders:
Leonard Espeño - 32 points
Rojun Abono - 15 points
Clyde Dexter Widagdo - 14 points
Victor Perfecto Sumbang - 14 points

Rebounds Leaders:
Seymour Stanley - 11 rebounds
Jeff Castro - 11 rebounds
Ash Julius Javellana - 8 rebounds

Assists Leaders:
Ulysses Maximo Martinez - 9 assists
Clyde Dexter Widagdo - 7 assists
Rojun Abono - 3 assists

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

- Leo

Philippines U21 claims 3rd win in a row, crushes Pakistan U21, 109-76 (79244)

Taipei, Taiwan -- Philippines U21, once again, displayed dominance on both sides of the court as they cruised past Pakistan U21, 109-76. Four Filipinos scored 11 points each in the first half to help steer Philippines to an early halftime lead, 50-32.

In the end, six players scored in double figures led by Leonard Espeño, who had 21 points, off the bench. Joseph Steven Tabernero followed it up with an impressive 18 points for his first start in this tournament. Seymour Stanley had a huge double-double of 11 points and 15 rebounds. Banjo Maximo Vargas and Clyde Dexter Widagdo contributed 14 and 13 points, respectively. Sam Castañeda Montezon, who started at center, secured an ever-elusive quintuple-single of 2 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks. Kidding aside, Montezon did a really great job with his intimidating defensive presence down low.

With this win, Philippines U21's win-loss record now stands at 4-1, which gives them a good grip at the second spot in Pool B, behind China U21's immaculate record of 5-0.

As for Pakistan U21, this is their 5th loss in as many games. Abbas Farahmand and Mehrshad Hafezi led the fight for the Pakistanis as they each dropped 18 points. Farahmand and Farhad Haddadi hauled 17 rebounds each, contributing heavily in the rebounding department for Pakistan U21, which was the only bright spot for them as they somehow outrebounded Philippines U21, 56-54. It didn't help that their backup power forward, Mostafa Jaffery, got injured in the first quarter after Ash Julius Javellana bulldozed him towards the basket.

Philippines U21's last opponent in the first round will be India U21, who, surprisingly, are still in contention for a second round spot after thwarting Hanguk U21 earlier, though it will be a very tough task. They need to win against Philippines U21, and in addition, they are also hoping that China U21 beats Singapore U21 next week with a very huge margin. The game between Philippines U21 and India U21 is scheduled on the 26th of May, 6:00 PM (Manila time). Please continue to support our National Teams!

Points Leaders:
Leonard Espeño - 21 points
Joseph Steven Tabernero - 18 points
Banjo Maximo Vargas - 14 points

Rebounds Leaders:
Seymour Stanley - 15 rebounds
Sam Castañeda Montezon - 9 rebounds
Ash Julius Javellana - 8 rebounds

Assists Leaders:
Clyde Dexter Widagdo - 4 assists
Sam Castañeda Montezon - 4 assists
Joseph Steven Tabernero - 3 assists
Alfred Ronaldo Delan - 3 assists

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

- Leo

Philippines U21 routs India U21 to end first round festivities, 97-65 (79247)

Taipei, Taiwan -- Philippines U21 ended the first round with an astounding win over India U21, who needed a miracle of biblical proportions to make it to the second round. India U21 needed to win this game and for Singapore U21 to lose by a very large margin. Both possible scenarios didn't happen as Singapore U21 tried their best to fend off China U21 to make the margin more manageable, and India U21 were routed from the get-go and didn't get a chance to mount a comeback.

Clyde Dexter Widagdo, tallied 18 points to lead Philippines U21 in scoring. He also added 4 assists to help orchestrate the Filipinos' offense. Leonard Espeño was aggressive on offense, which resulted to 16 points. Atoy Tapia and Joseph Steven Tabernero rounds up the double-digit scorers for the Philippines as they added 12 and 11 points respectively.

Philippines U21 also dominated in the rebounding department, as expected. Seymour Stanley hauled 12 rebounds in this game, on top of his 3 blocks. Russel Masias also joined the rebounding party with 10 boards. Sam Castañeda Montezon also got 10 rebounds, but the highlight of his impressive line were his 4 assists, 3 steals and 5 blocks, and that's coming off the bench!

Sinhvahan Krishnan was the lone bright spot for India U21. He put up 25 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in a losing effort. Divyatma Ball was the only other double-digit scorer with 14 points. India U21 ends the tournament with a 2-4 win-loss record, missing the second round once again.

Philippines U21 will now await their second round schedule, which will be released tomorrow (27th of May) noon, at the earliest. Crucial games coming up, so please continue to our U21 team and the Seniors team as well!

Points Leaders:
Clyde Dexter Widagdo - 18 points
Leonard Espeño - 16 points
Atoy Tapia - 12 points

Rebounds Leaders:
Seymour Stanley - 12 rebounds
Russel Masias - 10 rebounds
Sam Castañeda Montezon - 10 rebounds

Assists Leaders:
Clyde Dexter Widagdo - 4 assists
Sam Castañeda Montezon - 4 assists
Joseph Steven Tabernero - 3 assists
Russel Masias - 3 assists

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

- Leo

Here's the Second Round schedule for Philippines U21, starting on 2nd of June (all games scheduled at 6:00pm):

June 2 - vs Taiwan U21*
June 9 - vs Australia U21
June 16 - vs Malaysia U21
June 23 - vs Hong Kong U21
June 30 - vs Japan U21

* Homecourt advantage in this tournament

Again, to make it to the Semifinals (medal rounds), we need to make it to the Top 2 of this Pool. This also gives us a chance to qualify for the World Cup next season either by winning in the Semifinals or by winning in the World Cup Barrage game.

No medal for the Top 3 of each pool, but they can still punch a ticket to the World Cup with a World Cup Barrage win.

Good luck to all of us and have a nice day!

Leo

Host Taiwan U21 thrashes Philippines U21 on their home turf, 66-54 (79866)

Taipei, Taiwan -- After a series of wins for Philippines U21, Taiwan U21 gave them a reality check as they fend off Philippines U21, 66-54. If there was an indication of what kind of game this would be, the first half is the perfect example. The first half ended at 30-25 with Taiwan U21 getting the advantage. Both teams shot less than 30% from the field. Both teams were also sloppy with the ball as they turned the ball over too many times.

However, Taiwan U21 recovered in the third quarter as they surge ahead of Philippines U21, 20-9, giving the Taiwanese a safe cushion entering the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the Filipinos continued to struggle, eventually handing Taiwan U21 their first win in the second round.

Leonard Espeño was the only double-digit scorer for Philippines U21 with 20 points on 7 of 18 field goal shooting. Tough outing for Joseph Steven Tabernero as he only made 2 out of his 26 attempts on the field for 9 points. Philippines U21's starting bigs, Jeff Castro and Benigno Sasabo, held their own against Taiwan U21's bigmen, collecting a total of 31 rebounds and 7 blocks.

As for Taiwan U21, Tan Libing buried any hopes for the Filipinos to win the game as he tallied 23 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block. Chen Wei Quo added 14 points and 4 steals, while Hsiao Men Kae recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, add to that his 3 blocks. Shang-Guan Ka Hay also did a lot of damage on the defensive end as he collected 18 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

In the post-game press conference, Coach Leo gave huge credits to Taiwan U21's impregnable defense and the home crowd's amazing support for their team. He was also asked about their plans in the coming days. "Twenty thousand jump shots", he jokingly said as he slowly bolted out of the room.

Philippines U21's next assignment will be a game against Australia U21 on 9th of June, 6 pm. Please continue to support our U21 team and the Seniors team as well!

Points Leaders:
Leonard Espeño - 20 points
Joseph Steven Tabernero - 9 points
Banjo Maximo Vargas - 7 points

Rebounds Leaders:
Jeff Castro - 18 rebounds
Benigno Sasabo - 13 rebounds
Sam Castañeda Montezon - 8 rebounds

Assists Leaders:
Ulysses Maximo Martinez - 3 assists
Rojun Abono - 2 assists
Joseph Steven Tabernero - 1 assist
Benigno Sasabo - 1 assist
Sam Castañeda Montezon - 1 assist

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

- Leo

Huge 2nd half propels Philippines U21 to a comeback victory over Australia U21, 99-92 (79869)

Taipei, Taiwan -- In the first half of the game, the Filipinos found themselves in the middle of a drought spell as they only managed to score a measly 26 points, compared to Australia U21's 36 points. It was only Banjo Maximo Vargas who showed up in the first half for the Filipinos as he scored 10 points, while the Australian guard triumvirate of Rick Gaster, Maxim Irons, and Lindsay Duffield had their ways inside the Philippines U21's zone defense, scoring 11, 8 and 8 points, respectively. It was almost reminiscent of the Filipinos' last game vs Taiwan U21, where they only scored 25 points in the first half, hence, Coach Leo's growing concerns in the halftime dugout.

Coach Leo didn't elaborate enough on what he told his wards before the second half started, but it proved to be the medicine that the doctor ordered as they clawed their way back into the game, squeaked past a pesky Australia U21 team, 99-92. Philippines U21 scored 73 points in the second half, which is almost triple their first half output.

Banjo Maximo Vargas was in the forefront of this Philippines U21 attack, collecting a total of 33 points. Leonard Espeño added 23 points while Ash Julius Javellana provided muscle inside as he powered through the Aussie defense for 14 points.

Clyde Dexter Widagdo almost had a double-double with 9 points and 10 assists, orchestrating the Philippines offense with gusto. Benigno Sasabo only scored 6 points, but he grabbed 11 rebounds, and added 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks, helping the team in a lot of ways, especially on the defensive side.

Rick Gaster finished the game with 34 points for Australia U21. John Field amassed a double-double, 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Maxim Irons and Lindsay Duffield didn't do a lot in terms of scoring in the second half, as they ended the game with 11, and 10 points, respectively.

Both Australia U21 and Philippines U21 now have 1-1 win-loss records, which also ties them with Taiwan U21 after their stunning loss against Hong Kong U21 earlier. Malaysia U21 (0-2), who is coming off a loss to Japan U21, is up next in Philippines U21's schedule. The game is scheduled on 16th of June, 6:00PM, Manila time. Please continue to support our U21 team. Seniors team also needs your supports as they are still alive in the knockout matches in the Consolation round.

Points Leaders:
Banjo Maximo Vargas - 33 points
Leonard Espeño - 23 points
Ash Julius Javellana - 14 points

Rebounds Leaders:
Benigno Sasabo - 11 rebounds
Clyde Dexter Widagdo - 6 rebounds
Leonard Espeño - 5 rebounds

Assists Leaders:
Clyde Dexter Widagdo - 10 assists
Benigno Sasabo - 5 assists
Banjo Maximo Vargas - 3 assist

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

- Leo

Last edited by Leo (Pilipinas U21) at 6/9/2025 9:11:51 PM

Philippines U21, minus Leonard Espeño, mauls Malaysia U21, 89-64 (79870)

Taipei, Taiwan -- Sidelined for 1 to 2 weeks due to a facial injury, Leonard Espeño, the star-turned-spectator, was perched on a chair behind Philippines U21 bench, watching intently as his team claimed a wire-to-wire win against Malaysia U21, 89-64. When asked about his injury, he was quite optimistic that he'll be able to play next week against Hong Kong U21. "We hope he can play, but we are ready without him", exclaimed Coach Leo in the post-game interview. "We have guys who can step up in his absence."

One of those guys who stepped up in Espeño's absence earlier was Joseph Steven Tabernero, who stood at the forefront of Philippines U21's offense with 17 points on 7 of 12 shooting clip. This was a huge improvement compared to his abysmal performance against Taiwan U21 where he was also a starter and only made 2 out of his 26 attempts. He jokingly mentioned "Twenty-thousand Jump Shots" when asked what changed in their practices.

Clyde Dexter Widagdo added 15 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists to help steer Philippines U21 to victory, while Atoy Tapia and Russel Masias each chipped in 14 points. Ash Julius Javellana claimed his 1st double-double in this tournament with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Seymour Stanley still doing the usual Seymour Stanley things, grabbing 15 rebounds and be a menace on the defensive end.

On the other side, Malaysia U21 was led by Bazil Jeferin and his 13-point, 15-rebound double-double performance, followed by Bobby Robert and Dean Grove, who scored 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Next week will be a crucial tiff between two teams who are still in contention for the top spot in Pool D, Hong Kong U21 and Philippines U21. The game is scheduled on 23rd of June, 6:00PM, Manila time. Please continue to support our U21 team.

Points Leaders:
Joseph Steven Tabernero - 17 points
Clyde Dexter Widagdo - 15 points
Atoy Tapia - 14 points
Russel Masias - 14 points

Rebounds Leaders:
Seymour Stanley - 15 rebounds
Benigno Sasabo - 12 rebounds
Ash Julius Javellana - 11 rebounds

Assists Leaders:
Clyde Dexter Widagdo - 8 assists
Ulysses Maximo Martinez - 8 assists
Victor Perfecto Sumbang - 3 assist

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

- Leo

Hong Kong U21 puts on a defensive masterclass, crushes Philippines U21's medal hopes, 70-56 (79875)

Taipei, Taiwan -- Hong Kong U21 showed why their opponents fear their disruptive, impregnable and tenacious 3-2 zone defense. And it was no different against Philippines U21 as Hong Kong U21 limited their opponents to a very low 19 points in the first half, and ended up getting the important win, 70-56. They also claimed solo lead in Pool C with 4-0 win-loss record.

Meanwhile, Philippines U21 succumbs to another disappointing loss and they are now eliminated from top spot contention. After Australia U21's win against Malaysia U21, Philippines U21 and Australia U21 are now tied at 2-2, with Australia U21 getting the upper hand via superior point differential, making next week's games all important for these two squads.

Technically, Philippines U21 still has a chance to claim Top 2 spot in Pool C, but they need to win the next game against Japan U21 by a very big margin, and most importantly, for Taiwan U21 to lose its final assignment against Malaysia U21. A Taiwan U21 loss, according to basketball pundits, is very improbable, siting the roster comparison between the two teams and Malaysia U21 putting a lot of effort earlier against Australia U21.

Hung Yuk Tak led Hong Kong U21 in scoring with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Man Siu Kwok and Shi Ki Ching provided ample support with 11 points each. Jian Shunlei didn't score in this game, but his presence along the baseline is what mattered as he swatted 9 shots and grabbed 18 boards.

On the other side, Clyde Dexter Widagdo scored 10 points to lead the team. Newcomer Diego Olmos La Santa added 9 points and collected 12 rebounds. Not much to say about the rest of the team, but Coach Leo still praised them all for giving it their best in this game and also commended Hong Kong U21's defensive toughness. "Hong Kong was tough, especially that Shunlei guy. He can reach the stratosphere!"

Philippines U21 now prepares to play the final game of the second round against Japan U21 next week, 30th of June, 6:00PM, Manila time. Please continue to support our U21 team.

And also, congratulations to Philippines Senior team for securing the homecourt in the Asia Cup next season.

Points Leaders:
Clyde Dexter Widagdo - 10 points
Diego Olmos La Santa - 9 points
Seymour Stanley - 7 points

Rebounds Leaders:
Diego Olmos La Santa - 12 rebounds
Atoy Tapia - 9 rebounds
Russel Masias - 8 rebounds

Assists Leaders:
Clyde Dexter Widagdo - 2 assists
Atoy Tapia - 2 assists
Banjo Maximo Vargas - 2 assists
Orlan Sarrosa - 2 assists

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

- Leo

Last edited by Leo (Pilipinas U21) at 6/23/2025 8:45:23 AM

Philippines U21 books a date in the World Cup Barrage, whips Japan U21, 106-68 (79878)

Taipei, Taiwan -- Philippines U21 made sure that their entry to the World Cup Barrage is finalized as they didn't hold back against Japan U21 team, 106-68. Their entry was formalized after Australia U21 lost to Hong Kong U21 earlier, 69-80. With Taiwan U21 manhandling Malaysia U21, 100-60, Philippines U21 won't be entering the semifinals, which is a first in Coach Leo's tenure as the U21 coach/manager of the Philippines.

After a lengthy injury recovery, the sorely-missed stalwart, Leonard Espeño, returns to pick up the slack offensively with 19 points on 7 of 14 field goal shooting. Rojun Abono spearheaded the bench mob with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, with Banjo Maximo Vargas chipping in 16 points.

Benigno Sasabo continues to shine in the rebounding department, he even led the team in rebounding despite getting off the bench. He grabbed 16 huge rebounds,5 of offensive variety. Victor Perfecto Sumbang shows his complete game by amassing 10 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. He also had 2 steals and 2 blocks to round out his amazing performance.

Japan U21 put up a great fight, but Philippines U21's defense was too much for them to handle. Only Masaaki Kitahara and Tomoharu Daita showed up as they were the only double-digit scorers for their team, compared to Philippines U21 with 6.

World Cup Barrage will be on 7th of July, and the matchups will be announced on 5th of July, noon, at the earliest. Philippines U21 will now await their opponent, which would either be a 3rd place European team or an Americas semifinalist. This is a one-game affair, winner books a ticket to the World Cup next season; loser goes to the Consolation tournament. With that, we're asking for everyone's support. Let's claim it!

Points Leaders:
Leonard Espeño - 19 points
Rojun Abono - 17 points
Banjo Maximo Vargas - 16 points

Rebounds Leaders:
Benigno Sasabo - 16 rebounds
Victor Perfecto Sumbang - 8 rebounds
Ash Julius Javellana - 7 rebounds

Assists Leaders:
Victor Perfecto Sumbang - 5 assists
Joseph Steven Tabernero - 4 assists
Clyde Dexter Widagdo - 4 assists
Rojun Abono - 4 assists

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

- Leo