MANILA, Philippines — New import Marcellus Earlington overcome a foul-plagued PBA debut, delivering 14 of his 20 points in the final period to lift Phoenix Super LPG to a pulse-pounding 105-101 comeback win against Meralco to boost its Season 50 Governors’ Cup playoffs bid on Friday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. The 26-year-old Earlington, taking the spot of BJ Johnson, who left the team during the conference break, made all six of his attempts from the field in the final period, along with seven rebounds to make up for a poor 3-of-12 shooting during the first three quarters. The Fuel Masters trailed by 13 points in the first half, stymied visibly by the Bolts’ defense. But big men Ken Tuffin and Kai Ballingay along with Ricci Rivero stepped up on offense at a time Earlington was struggling, before the American came alive when the game was on the line in the final quarter. Phoenix moved up to solo second spot at 5-3, half a game behind Group B leader Magnolia’s 6-3 slate. Rain or Shine is at solo third with its 4-3 record, while Meralco fell to 4-6. The Bolts’ loss gave Barangay Ginebra and Blackwater, both toting 3-5 cards, a new lease on playoff life. Rivero led Phoenix with 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Ballungay 17, while Tuffin had a double-double of 16 and 10. Jordon Varnado led Meralco with 36 points, but went just 11-of-30 from the floor. CJ Cansino and Bong Quinto added 18 and 14 for the Bolts. Meanwhile, Converge registered a 162-108 demolition of Macau in the first game. Cameron Clark dumped 32 points in just three quarters of play and while Juan Gomez de Liano became the first rookie ever to notch back-to-back triple-doubles after scoring 13 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and 12 assists as the FiberXers won for the fourth straight time to improve to 7-4 in Group A. TNT and Converge clash this Sunday with the winner expected to get a better playoff seeding. Macau closed its forgettable PBA stint with a 2-10 record.

As part of the Topas Vietnam Trail Series, the race has long attracted a rich, international field, including top regional and domestic talent.

The Kia Tigers and the LG Twins, the two teams that have combined to win the past three Korean baseball championships, will renew their postseason rivalry starting this weekend. The two clubs will have their first Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason showdown in 10 years when the first game in their best-of-five semi-final round opens at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Tigers' home, Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul. The Twins are the defending Korean Series champions and they also won the 2023 title. They are trying to become the first team since the 2015-2016 Doosan Bears to capture back-to-back Korean Series titles. The Tigers were the 2024 Korean Series champions but missed the postseason in 2025. The Tigers will host the first two games, with the second game scheduled to start at 2 p.m. Sunday. The series will shift to the Twins' home turf, Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, for Game 3 at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and, if necessary, Game 4 at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. If the series goes the distance, the deciding fifth game will be back in Gwangju at 6:30 p.

Phoenix erased an early 13-point deficit to beat Meralco, 105-101, on Friday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo and secure a spot in the PBA Governors" Cup quarterfinals.

Former Olympic champion Mima Ito has been dropped from Japan’s latest national table tennis squad, replaced by 28-year-old breakthrough player Hitomi Sato, who finished runner-up at the recent WTT China Smash. Across the border, meanwhile, followers of rival powerhouses China have focused their attention on widely circulated Chinese media reports that the Japan Table Tennis Association plans to dismantle the high-profile mixed-doubles pairing of Sora Matsushima and Miwa Harimoto. Under the...

Former Olympic champion Mima Ito has been dropped from Japan’s latest national table tennis squad, replaced by 28-year-old breakthrough player Hitomi Sato, who finished runner-up at the recent WTT China Smash. Across the border, meanwhile, followers of rival powerhouses China have focused their attention on widely circulated Chinese media reports that the Japan Table Tennis Association plans to dismantle the high-profile mixed-doubles pairing of Sora Matsushima and Miwa Harimoto. Under the...

MANILA, Philippines — College of Saint Benilde turned back Jose Rizal University, 28-26, 25-16, 18-25, 25-22, for its first win to stay in the thick of the race for the last playoffs berth in Pool B of the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Unity Cup on Friday. Camila Bartolome led the way with 18 points on 14 kills, three kill blocks and an ace as the Lady Blazers bounced back from an opening game loss to second round-bound University of Santo Tomas. Mhonniecka Soliven added 13 points on eight attacks, three kill blocks and two aces while Mary Grace Borromeo and Krystal Oba-ob added 11 and eight markers, respectively, for CSB. “Ang naging winning factor namin is nag-push kami kahit na parang off ang game ng lahat today, nag-push pa rin kami. And ang galing din kasi nag-step up ang rookie namin na middle blocker na si Oba-ob and si Soliven din,” Bartolome said. The Lady Blazers will face Mapua University (1-1) on Sunday in a virtual do-or-die match to advance into the next round. “Siguro kailangan namin matutunan na huwag paunahin na makapuntos ang kalaban. Kasi sa part na naghahabol kami talagang nahihirapan,” Bartolome said. The Lady Bombers absorbed a second straight defeat in as many games and kissed their playoffs hopes goodbye. Nicole Daela finished with a game-high 21 points built on 19 spikes and two aces while Czarina Ramos scored 14 in a lost cause for JRU. TMT

MANILA, Philippines — A string of one-shot victories and dramatic finishes has set the tone for the Philippine Golf Tour, and the ICTSI South Pacific Classic looms as another test of nerve and precision when the P2.5-million championship unfolds Tuesday (Oct. 20) at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates in Davao City. Rupert Zaragosa’s narrow escape at last Thursday’s Pueblo de Oro Championship underscored the depth, parity and unpredictability of the country’s premier circuit, where no player has established a commanding edge and the title remains anyone’s for the taking heading into the four-day battle for the crown and the top prize. The Pueblo de Oro finish was another reminder of how fine the margins have become. Zaragosa bogeyed the final hole without realizing he had done enough to secure the victory, with his caddie ultimately assuring him that he had survived a tense finish to snap a year-long title drought. “I actually had a feeling I could win at Pueblo because everything felt right. My game was in good shape, I was hitting the ball well, and my putting was coming together. I felt I had a real chance,” said Zaragosa, who claimed his fourth career title following his breakthrough victory in Iloilo in 2023 and back-to-back triumphs at the Negros Occidental stop in 2024 and 2025. After several previous campaigns in which he contended but failed to close the deal, Zaragosa finally put everything together at Pueblo de Oro. He stayed within striking distance through the first three rounds before delivering a closing 68 to edge Keanu Jahns and Zanieboy Gialon by one. Now, with his confidence restored, Zaragosa hopes to carry that same composure and winning mindset into South Pacific, where a formidable cast of contenders is poised to renew the circuit’s run of nail-biting finishes. The recent run of close calls has been remarkable. Angelo Que edged Aidric Chan by two strokes at Summit Point, Art Arbole captured his breakthrough victory in Negros Occidental by one over Jeffren Lumbo, and Jhonnel Ababa ended a two-year title drought with another one-shot triumph over Lumbo in Iloilo. Zaragosa then kept the trend going at Pueblo de Oro, setting up another potentially dramatic showdown in Davao. Lumbo, in particular, has unfinished business. After back-to-back runner-up finishes, he remained in contention at Pueblo de Oro before fading in the final round. The defending South Pacific champion, however, has every reason to be confident at a venue where he outlasted Russell Bautista in a grueling five-hole playoff last year. He now seeks to become a back-to-back winner and further cement his legacy in the event. Bautista, meanwhile, will be eager to make amends after his heartbreaking playoff defeat last year and a late stumble at Pueblo de Oro. He controlled the race for a significant stretch of the final round last week but faltered under pressure, leaving him determined to prove he can finish the job when another opportunity comes. Jahns and Gialon are likewise out to settle unresolved matters after coming within a stroke of forcing a playoff at Pueblo. Jahns briefly seized the lead in the fiercely contested final round but missed a 16-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole that could have extended the battle. Gialon, for his part, pulled level with Zaragosa and Jahns down the stretch, only to bogey the last hole and fall one shot short. Another player to watch is Clyde Mondilla, whose power off the tee put him in control after the third round at Pueblo de Oro. But he struggled to create enough birdie opportunities over the closing 18 holes, managing just one late birdie on No. 17 to salvage a fourth-place finish. A sharper approach game could make him a formidable contender at South Pacific. Que, meanwhile, hopes to rediscover the form that carried him to his second leg victory of the season at Summit Point. After that triumph, he settled for a joint 12th-place finish in Negros Occidental, shared 21st in Iloilo and tied for ninth at Pueblo de Oro. Still, the veteran campaigner remains confident of working his way back into the title hunt. With the Order of Merit crown also at stake, Que is looking to mount a late-season charge, contend for a third victory and strengthen his bid to retain the season-long honors. The South Pacific Classic serves as the penultimate stop of the 10-leg circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. The tour then moves to the nearby Apo Golf and Country Club next week for the season-ending leg, where Ababa and the other local aces are expected to lead the home challenge and defend their turf. TMT

Renz Villegas led Lyceum of the Philippines University past San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 78-77, in a close escape on Friday in the NCAA Season 102 men"s basketball tournament at the Filoil Centre.

NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament Lyceum def. San Sebastián (78-77) Renz Villegas Player of the Game