ATENEO de Manila University Blue Eagles head coach Louie Alas on Tuesday apologized for his behavior at the conclusion of last Saturday’s University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) game against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons. Alas was involved in a heated confrontation at the end of Saturday’s Blue Eagles 82-74 loss against the Maroons. He was suspended for two UAAP games as a result. “Regardless of the circumstances, my actions were inappropriate. I should have exercised greater restraint and better judgment. I take full responsibility for my conduct and accept the consequences,” Alas said in a statement posted on the Ateneo website. “I understand the disappointment my actions have caused, particularly among those who expect everyone representing Ateneo to uphold the highest standards of sportsmanship, respect and self-discipline. These are expectations I share and deeply respect,” he added. Ateneo will next play the Adamson University Soaring Falcons on Wednesday. ARIC JOHN SY CUA

IF plans don’t miscarry, Gilas Pilipinas expects a loaded front court for the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers. Coach Tim Cone is keeping his fingers crossed that no injury bug will hit big men led by Kai Sotto, Quentin Millora-Brown, AJ Edu and Mike Phillips, as all four players are expected to be available for the November window. “Yes, barring any injury between now and then,” Cone said, when asked by The Manila Times about the availability of the four big men. The 7-3 Sotto has returned to action for his Japan B.League team Altira Chiba after missing seven games due to a knee issue. He played the first four games for the season, before being held back due to the injury. The Filipino big man has played in the team’s last two games, averaging six points and five rebounds in 17 minutes of play. Sotto’s size, coupled by the presence of QMB, who currently plays for the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins, along with Phillips (Kyoto Hannaryz) and Edu (Gunma Crane Thunders), will give Cone the luxury of a stratospheric frontline heading to the penultimate window of the FIBA Asian Qualifiers. Cone recently said Gilas will be leaving for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Nov. 21, with the team, while Bennie Boatwright, the team’s new naturalized player, will follow on Nov. 23. The PBA is scheduled to halt the playoffs for the Season 50 Governors’ Cup after Tuesday’s sudden death Game 5 of the quarterfinal series between San Miguel Beer and Ginebra to give way to Gilas’ FIBA tournament. Gilas has less than a week to prepare before plunging to action on Nov. 27 against Syria, followed by Iran on Nov. 30 in Seremban, an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur.

LOOKING to stay in the thick of the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball Final Four spot hunt, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) faces University of the East (UE) at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday. The fifth-running Growling Tigers take on the already-eliminated yet dangerous Red Warriors at 2:30 p.m. While the 5-6 UST snapped its three-game skid to boost its Final Four bid with an 86-85 win over Far Eastern University (FEU) last Sunday, repeating against the cellar-dwelling 1-10, UE doesn’t look easy to pull off. The Red Warriors finally took their first win of the season last Saturday, ending a 30-game skid dating back to Season 87 with a 53-47 win against the Adamson Soaring Falcons. Facing a loose UE side that just came off its first win in two years to begin its three-game semis push, the Pido Jarencio-mentored UST knows it will face a tough challenge. “If you look at our practices, they became harder. They became more intense. They became more focused more than anything, and that’s the spirit that we want to continue,” said Growling Tigers assistant coach Peter Martin. “Even if we win the last three games, we’re not assured of a Final Four spot yet. We just want to finish well, one game at a time. We know that UE already has won, so that’s actually terrifying.” Firing 23 points last timeout, Amiel Acido looks to lead the charge anew for the Growling Tigers and sweep their elimination round series against the Paolo Hubalde-coached Red Warriors. Opposite Acido as well as Landyn Jumawan and Mark Llemit is Toper Lagat, whose offensive exploits finally translated to a UE victory last Saturday. Lagat punched 14 points, four rebounds and two steals against Adamson, while also drawing help from Mo Tañedo and JM Edoukou, who added 14 and 13 points, respectively. “I think they started to believe in what they can do,” said Hubalde. “On top of that, they’re starting to believe in the system. I told them that as long as you give everything on the court, basketball will love us back.” Tied with the Growling Tigers in fifth place with a 5-6 slate, the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles are likewise making their final push for a Final Four spot. Ateneo takes on the seventh-running, 4-7, and desperate Adamson side, which is essentially on the brink of elimination at 5 p.m. The Blue Eagles are coming off a 74-82 loss to the top seed and 9-2 UP Fighting Maroons last Saturday, while the Soaring Falcons fell victim to the Red Warriors to suffer their fourth straight defeat. NIEL VICTOR MASOY

BAGUIO CITY — Filipino racing driver Iñigo Anton bounced back from a disappointing season opener to capture a commanding victory in the Formula Trophy Malaysia at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia, over the weekend. He also seized the lead for the overall championship after two rounds. The 21-year-old Anton dominated the weekend races, topping the practice sessions, claiming pole position in the qualifying, winning race 1 on Saturday and recording the fastest lap as he outpaced a competitive international field featuring drivers backed by prominent European racing academies. Driving for AXLE Sports, managed by former Formula One driver Alex Yoong, Anton clocked 30 minutes and 44.529 seconds to rule the 14-lap opening race on Saturday, finishing ahead of Britain’s Timo Jüngling of Xcel Motorsport and AXLE teammate Jaime Ambrose. Anton finished outside the podium in race 2 but recovered with a second-place finish in race 3 on Sunday. Germany’s Jesse Phillips of LN4 Fusion topped race 2, followed by China’s Chen Sicong and the Netherlands’ Rafael Vaessen. Jüngling, meanwhile, ruled race 3 in 31:24.161, with Anton taking second place ahead of Ambrose. Anton’s performance in Malaysia earned the lone Filipino driver on the grid enough points to move on top of the championship standings heading into the season finale. Anton faced stiff competition from drivers associated with international racing programs, including Phillips, a European karting champion, and Oleksandr Bondarev of the Williams Racing Junior Academy. Both compete for LN4 Fusion, a racing outfit co-founded by Formula One race winner Lando Norris. The Filipino driver was coached during the Malaysian round by Alister Yoong, son of AXLE Sports team manager Alex Yoong, whose guidance and race strategy helped Anton deliver a strong performance. “After a really disappointing round 1, we knew we had to come back with a vengeance,” Anton said, crediting his coach and the entire AXLE Sports team for preparing a competitive car. The victory marked a significant turnaround for Anton, the 2025 Formula 4 Southeast Asia rookie champion, following a difficult opening round at the Formula Trophy Bahrain event. Anton also acknowledged the support of his early sponsors, including Motul Infiniteserv, Alpinestars, Yokohama, Timemaster Watches and Blue Coffee Distributor, which helped pave his way into Formula 4 racing. With the championship in sight, Anton is expected to carry the Philippine flag into the season-ending round as he seeks to secure another major milestone in his international racing career. HARLEY PALANGCHAO

LOS ANGELES, California — Luka Doncic scored 32 points as the in-form Los Angeles Lakers rolled to a sixth straight victory with a 124-114 defeat of the Atlanta Hawks on Monday (Tuesday in Manila). Doncic, whose sensational early season form has propelled the Lakers to the top of the NBA Western Conference, once again led from the front to secure an impressive win on the road. The Slovenian star finished with 32 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds, five steals and two blocks in a dominant all-round performance. Doncic, who is averaging 40 points per game so far this season, received offensive support from Sandro Mamukelashvili, who delivered an eye-catching 23 points from the bench that included five three-pointers. Walker Kessler added 21 points with Collin Sexton scoring 18 and Ziaire Williams, 12. Lakers coach J.J. Redick paid tribute to the contributions of Doncic, Sexton and Mamukelashvili on a night when the team were missing Austin Reaves (illness) and Quentin Grimes (injury). “I thought Collin did a really nice job of giving us some juice, and Sandro had his best game as a Laker,” Redick said. “That was awesome. “Luka, again, just orchestrating. He was out there without a secondary ball handler so he had to be on the ball a lot, and that was taxing. I thought he handled it well,” Redick added. The Lakers improved to 10-2 at the top of the Western Conference following the win as Atlanta fell to 7-5. In other games on Monday, the Detroit Pistons improved to 7-3 with a 122-111 defeat of the Washington Wizards after 24 points from John Collins. The Memphis Grizzlies are also on 7-3 after their 118-102 victory over the Toronto Raptors. The Cleveland Cavaliers, meanwhile, stumbled to a 124-112 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.  AFP

LOS ANGELES, California — Aryna Sabalenka battled past Karolina Muchova in straight sets to make a winning start at the season-ending WTA Finals in Indian Wells on Monday (Tuesday in Manila). Former world No. 1 Sabalenka was forced to dig deep before finally prevailing 7-6 (7/2), 7-5 in just under two hours. Second-seeded Sabalenka is chasing her first-ever WTA Finals victory after suffering defeats in the 2022 and 2025 finals. The four-time Grand Slam champion from Belarus looked to be in trouble after conceding a break of serve to go 5-4 down in the opening set. But she broke back immediately for 5-5 and subsequently went on to hold her nerve in the tiebreak 7-2 to seize the early initiative. Both players struggled on serve in the second set, with Sabalenka suffering her fourth break as she served for the match at 5-4 up. Crucially though, Sabalenka responded to that stumble by breaking back immediately to lead 6-5, and she made no mistake when serving for the match again, wrapping up victory when Czech opponent Muchova netted a backhand. “I’m just trying to win every match I play, and at the same time trying to stay in the moment and focus on my game on each point, and trying to stay calm and in control,” Sabalenka said afterward. In Monday’s other group game, WTA Finals debutant Mirra Andreeva motored past Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in straight sets, winning 6-4, 6-0, despite overcoming pre-match tightness. Third-seed Andreeva, the 19-year-old reigning French Open champion, took control with a break to open up a 4-2 first-set lead and never looked back against her sixth-seeded opponent. She duly held serve to close out the first set, and then demolished Svitolina in the second set, rattling off three service breaks to wrap up victory. “I was so tight, I felt I was moving like a turtle,” the teenager said afterward. “I felt like I couldn’t really hit the ball, so I’m just very happy to get through the match and control my emotions.” Andreeva will face Sabalenka in her second round-robin game on Wednesday. This year’s WTA Finals were scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia but in July were moved to Indian Wells after US military strikes on Iran in February and the subsequent war in the region.  AFP

IT took the Detroit Tigers less than a month of watching Kevin McGonigle at the big-league level to decide he was worthy of a nine-figure contract. Seven months later, McGonigle rewarded that confidence by becoming the runaway winner of the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year award Monday night. Cincinnati Reds slugger Sal Stewart — another precocious hitter — took home the National League honor after anchoring the middle of the team’s lineup all season. McGonigle played most of the season at just 21 years old and had a .278 batting average and .806 OPS with 18 homers, 72 RBIs, 28 doubles and 12 stolen bases while splitting time between shortstop and third base. He’s the first Tigers player to win the award since pitcher Michael Fulmer in 2016 and the first Detroit infielder since Lou Whitaker in 1978. McGonigle’s most remarkable trait might have been his consistency, providing steady production over the long Major League Baseball season. “I’m trying to play my part and trying to help this team as much as I can, and that’s what drives me every day,” McGonigle said. “On the days you’re tired, the days you need to rest, you’ve got to go out, lace the cleats up and go out for the guys in the clubhouse and this organization.” The Tigers thought enough of McGonigle’s potential that they signed him to a $150-million, eight-year deal in April, just a few weeks into his rookie season. He responded with a stellar all-around season that earned him an All-Star nod and helped the Tigers remain in the playoff race for much of the summer.

PHOENIX — Victor Wembanyama wrapped up another jaw-dropping performance on Monday night early in the fourth quarter, casually bringing the ball up the court before crossing over Khaman Maluach a few times, dribbling between his legs and then behind his back before gliding past him for an easy layup. It was a ridiculous moment for

ZUS Coffee dug deep to overcome some early hiccups on the way to completing a 17-25, 21-25, 25-20, 25-20, 15-12 reverse sweep win in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Barangay Ginebra completely crushed San Miguel in the fourth quarter en route to a 110-94 win in do-or-die Game 5 of their PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday at the Ynares Center Antipolo.

PVL 2026 All Filipino-Siklab Series ZUS Coffee def. Galeries Tower, 3-2 Chai Troncoso Player of the Game #PVL2026

MANILA, Philippines — ZUS Coffee finally barged into the win column after rallying from two sets down to overcome Galeries Tower, 17-25, 21-25, 25-20, 25-20, 15-12, in the 2026-27 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference-Siklab Series on Tuesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. The Thunderbelles showed resilience after dropping the first two sets, winning the next three to secure their first victory of the conference. Despite the win, ZUS Coffee and Galeries Tower remained tied at 1-5 in the standings, with both teams facing elimination as only the top four squads will advance to the next round. Alex Miner spearheaded the Thunderbelles with 17 points on 13 attacks and four blocks, while Glaudine Troncoso and Jolina Dela Cruz chipped in 13 and 10 points, respectively. Jean Asis delivered a career-high 27 points, highlighted by 21 attacks, five blocks and an ace, but her impressive effort went unrewarded as the Highrisers absorbed their fifth loss. Erika Deloria and Lycha Ebon also tried to keep Galeries Tower in contention with 13 and 12 points, respectively, but their efforts fell short.

MANILA, Philippines — Barangay Ginebra unleashed a backbreaking fourth-quarter assault to oust San Miguel Beer, 110-94, in their sudden-death PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup quarterfinal duel and secure the last semifinal spot on Tuesday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. The Gin Kings shifted into another gear in the final period, outscoring the Beermen, 34-14, to clinch the series, 3-2, and avert a stunning playoff collapse. Ginebra raced to a 2-0 series lead but watched San Miguel Beer bounce back with victories in Games 3 and 4 to force a winner-take-all showdown. With the victory, Ginebra arranged a semifinal showdown with defending champion TNT, led by import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry scored 25 points in 20-plus minutes, Yaxel Lendeborg had 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and the Golden State Warriors won their eighth straight game by running away from the undermanned New Orleans Pelicans early for a 138-87 victory Monday night. Brandin Podziemski added 25 points while Curry wound

DAKAR—Finishing fourth was never in her plans, so Naomi Marjorie Cesar saved her best for last and with an enormous burst of speed in the home stretch, snatched the women’s 800 meters silver behind an Ethiopian roadrunner for Team Philippines’ first medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). “I worked so hard for

PARIS, France — The final races of the Formula One season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will go ahead as planned despite tensions in the Middle East, the president of motorsports' governing body Mohammed Ben Sulayem said on Tuesday. The last two grands prix of the year are scheduled for November 29 in Qatar and December 6 in Abu Dhabi. The Saudi Arabia Grand Prix earlier this year was scrapped following the outbreak of the United States and Israel's war with Iran, while the Bahrain race was delayed and moved to Malaysia. "We are ready for Qatar and Abu Dhabi," FIA chief Ben Sulayem said on social media. "We are fully prepared and committed to delivering two outstanding grands prix weekends and a spectacular conclusion to the Formula One world championship. "We look forward to welcoming drivers, teams and fans to two iconic circuits for an unforgettable finish to the season. See you on the grid." Ben Sulayem's comments echo those made by F1 boss Stefano Domenicali last month. F1 drivers have expressed mixed feelings about racing in the Middle East, with four-time world champion Max Verstappen among those to air his reservations. Italian youngster Kimi Antonelli has already wrapped up the drivers' world championship title, while his Mercedes team secured the constructors' crown last weekend in Sao Paulo. Several events in Saudi Arabia, which borders Qatar and the UAE, have been cancelled or postponed in recent weeks following attacks on the country by Yemen's Houthis.

Jay Rooney LEADING AGILITY - R7 (5) Very strong win last start at the Valley and can repeat the dose here   Owen Goulding MASTER PHOENIX - R3 (11) Hugely unlucky when hampered last start and draws much better tonight   Paul Lally GOLDEN ACE - R5 (4) Has shown plenty of ability and should appreciate the step up in distance   Phillip Woo COUNTRY PRIDE - R6 (7) Has run well in his first three starts this term and does finally draw a gate   Trackwork Spy CLOUD NINE - R6 (4) Near misses on both...

HOUSTON — Kevin Durant had 23 points and Alperen Sengun added 20 to lead the Houston Rockets to a 110-100 win over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night that snapped a two-game skid. Denver’s Jamal Murray made two free throws to cut the lead to six points with about five minutes left. But Christian Braun

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Grayson Allen scored 27 points, Naz Reid added 25 points and 13 rebounds and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-112 on Monday night to snap a six-game losing streak. Tidjane Salaun added 14 points off the bench and Ryan Kalkbrenner had 15 rebounds for Charlotte, which shot 23 of

DALLAS — Cooper Flagg had 43 points and 10 rebounds and Kyrie Irving scored 35 while completing a back-to-back for the first time this season as the Dallas Mavericks rallied past the Indiana Pacers 125-122 on Monday night. P.J. Washington Jr. could have extended the Dallas lead with four seconds left but missed both free

Defending champion San Beda University claimed the Group A top seed after exacting revenge on De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in the form of a 82-69 win in the NCAA Season 102 on Tuesday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.

ATLANTA — Luka Doncic had 32 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists and the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to six games with a 124-114 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night. Walker Kessler had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Collin Sexton had 18 points and six assists off the bench.

NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament San Beda def. Benilde, 82-69 Andrei Ugaddan Player of the Game #NCAASeason102

MANILA, Philippines — Amid all the twists and turns of the elimination round, defending champion San Beda University secured the Group A top seed after toppling College of Saint Benilde, 82-69, in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament on Tuesday afternoon at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City. Despite being tied with Jose Rizal University (JRU) with a 10-3 win-loss record, San Beda took the top spot in the “Group of Death,” due to the win-over-the-other rule. San Beda defeated JRU twice in the elimination round, giving the Mendiola-based squad the advantage. Taking the one-two slot in Group A, both San Beda and JRU head to the quarterfinals with a twice-to-beat incentive. The Yuri Escueta-mentored team will either face Group B’s bottom teams, Perpetual and San Sebastián, which will clash in the play-in round San Sebastián needs to win over Perpetual twice in order to earn a quarterfinals slot. Andrei Ugaddan led the scoring for San Beda with 18 points and five rebounds, while Jimmy Reyes added 12 points. “We just trained, and we really worked hard for it, as you can see. We made sure to get back over Benilde,” rookie Ugaddan said after the game. Two more Red Lions hit the double-digit mark, with Aldous Torculas putting up 11 points, while John Bonzalida added 10. Justine Sanchez put up the fight for Benilde with 15 points, while Jhomel Ancheta added 10. Benilde fell to an 8-5 win-loss record and is seeded third in Group A. The Blazers will face Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC).

Hong Kong jockey Angus Chung Yik-lai faces up to six weeks on the sidelines following a nasty fall on Tuesday, that killed the Tony Cruz-trained United Hua Steed. The three-year-old horse stumbled during morning barrier trials at Sha Tin, sending Chung crashing to the dirt while suffering a fatal injury as a result. While Chung was rushed to hospital, and was later diagnosed with a concussion, fractured ribs and a broken nose, United Hua Steed could not be saved, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club...

Although the game had no bearing on the standings, Letran still had one more fight to win in the eliminations and Jimboy Estrada made sure the Knights got the last laugh with a game-winning triple to seal an 85-83 victory over Perpetual on Tuesday.

MANILA, Philippines — Colegio de San Juan de Letran escaped University of Perpetual Help System-DALTA, 85-83, to close the elimination round on a high note on Tuesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City. Perpetual led by three late, 81-78, before Titing Manalili’s pulled a 4-0 rally to put the Knights ahead, 82-81, with 20 seconds remaining.  JM Tulabut answered with a jumper that restored the Altas’ lead, 83-82. Jimboy Estrada then delivered a dagger three-pointer in the final three seconds, sealing the win and giving Letran a 9-4 record as Group B’s top seed. Estrada finished with 19 points in the match. The Knights now await the winner of the Mapúa (6-6) vs. Lyceum (4-8) play-in clash. Mapúa needs just one win to advance to the quarterfinals, while Lyceum must beat Mapúa twice.  Letran had three other double-digit scorers in its lineup as Chad Gammad also added 19 points, three rebounds, and three assists, while Justin Cargo and Kevin Santos made 11 and 10 points, respectively.  Tulabut led Perpetual with 12 points, while Gelo Gelsano posted a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. Perpetual finished the elimination round with a 4-9 record and is relegated to the play-in round, facing the winless San Sebastian College-Recoletos (0-13).

NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament   Letran def. Perpetual, 85-83 Jimboy Estrada Player of the Game #NCAASeason102

MANILA, Philippines — Trisha Tubu scored eight points in the deciding frame alone to allow the Farm Fresh Foxies to snap the three-game winning streak of the PLDT High Speed Hitters, 20-25, 25-17, 23-25, 25-20, 17-15, in the 2026-27 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference-Siklab Series on Tuesday at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City. Farm Fresh improved to a 4-2 win-loss record to enjoy solo third in the standings, behind conference leaders Nxled (5-0) and Creamline (4-1). Tubu exploded for 30 points—all on attacks—along with nine excellent digs, marking her best performance against the tough PLDT squad since the PVL Invitational Conference. She had only scored five points in her previous meeting with PLDT in the Invitational Conference. “Whenever I face PLDT, I struggle to score 10 points or higher,” Tubu told the media in Filipino. “They give me the confidence because I am confident in scoring and spiking, knowing that someone covers the floor. We know PLDT is a blocking team, and I used to struggle getting my shots past them, but the trust of my teammates makes the difference,” she added. Aside from Tubu, Royse Tubino delivered a double-double performance of 14 points and 13 excellent receptions. Alohi Robins-Hardy orchestrated the offense with 23 excellent sets, helping two more Farm Fresh gunners score in double digits as Mylene Rezanova chipped in 12 points and Ces Molina added 11. PLDT, which came into the match riding a three-game winning streak, relied on Savi Davison’s monster triple-double performance of 23 points, 23 excellent digs, and 19 excellent receptions, but it was not enough to conquer the gritty Foxies. Jovie Prado and Kianna Dy contributed 13 and 10 points, respectively, in the defeat. The victory marked Farm Fresh's fifth five-set match of the conference, bringing their record in deciders to 3-2. Looking ahead, Farm Fresh will next face Capital 1, while PLDT aims to bounce back against Galeries on Saturday at the PhilSports Arena.

Trisha Tubu unleashed timely hits to steer Farm Fresh to a 20-25, 25-17, 23-25, 25-20, 17-15 win against PLDT in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.