The STANDS - An INQUIRER Sports Newsletter

 

September 20, 2024

Francis Lopez (left) and the Maroons are soaring this season. (UAAP PHOTO)

Hey there sports fan, Let's all crack a cold one and raise a toast to San Miguel Beer's Marcio Lassiter, who recently became the new three-point king of the PBA.  Lassiter knocked off Jimmy Alapag from the all-time career triples made list. Do you know how many years Alapag stayed on top of that list before his former teammate at Gilas Pilipinas overtook him? You can find the answer at the end of this email. The previous holders of the record, Alapag and hoop icon Allan Caidic, are now legends of the game. Lassiter isn't ready to embrace that label just yet. While we're in toasting mood, let's hear it, too, for Daniel Quizon and Julio Catalino Sadorra, two of our bets in the 45th Fide Chess Olympiad being held in Hungary. Quizon finally achieved his GM norm while Sadorra scored two mighty upsets in the biggest chess event in the world.  How about La Salle and University of the Philippines, eh? Both teams are truly on a different plane from the rest of the UAAP right now. The Green Archers and the Maroons are 3-0 (win-loss) as of this writing and it doesn't look like they are going to see their runs snapped until both of them clash on Oct. 6. La Salle is staying on top of its title defense by making sure it builds healthy relationships as a foundation for its winning culture. UP, on the other hand, rose to the top by nitpicking its own game and making sure there are improvements from one match to the next.

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Kyle Negrito (left) and Michele Gumabao were two of the three new MVPs unleashed by Creamline during its Grand Slam season. (AFP)

Meanwhile on Plus... The UST Tigers have already matched their win total last year, thanks to the leadership of Forthsky Padrigo, tha transferee from Ateneo whose game is making a point by not scoring a lot of, well, points.  The National U Lady Bulldogs owned the UAAP for seven straight seasons. Then the UST Tigresses ended that dynasty last year. The two cross paths again in Season 87, with unblemished starts at stake.  Creamline had three absent stars for most of the season. So how did they complete the PVL's first Grand Slam? The Cool Smashers unearthed three new MVPs.  What we're up to next: We'll continue covering the UAAP basketball scene, both men's and women's and stop by the junior high school division every now and then. We'll also have eyes on the ground in the centennial season of the NCAA. The PBA is heading into the playoffs of the Governors' Cup so we'll have more updates and features across all our platforms and we'll also continue reaching out to the official wire dispatch of the Philippine teams to the 45th Fide Chess Olympiad. Number of the Week: 6 Total triples made by Marcio Lassiter on the night he emerged  the new PBA three-point king.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “I’m not going to say it.” —Marcio Lassiter, San Miguel Beer, on refusing to be called a legend at this point of his career.

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Eight. That's the answer to the trivia question above. Think you can ace the rest of our weekly sports quiz? head over to our Viber community and try the test out! Buy the Inquirer at newsstands, subscribe to our digital edition, Inquirer Plus, visit our online site and follow us on socials (Twitter: @inquirersports; FB: facebook.com/inquirersports) for more stories and updates—or to send us questions or suggestions of stories you'd want to read. See you next Friday! Francis Francis T. J. Ochoa is the Sports Editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. For comments, suggestions and questions, hit him up on Twitter (@ftjochoaINQ).