It’s all systems go for ITH 2010

Gearing up to the challenges of boosting up the level of campus sports writing in the country, Ignite Academic Training and school and office supplies company Adventurer, with the partnership of the Philippine Basketball Association, Journal Group of Publications, Business Mirror, Manila Standard, ActiveWhite, DZSR Sports Radio, Fullcourtfresh.com and EC Communications  is launching Adventurer In The Huddle: 1^st National Sports Writing Congress this November 8, 10, and 12 at the JCSGO Seed Dome in Cubao, Quezon City.

Expecting a total of 500 participants from elementary, high school and tertiary level from all over the country, ITH 2010 will be the ground-breaking congress of its kind in the Philippines, with veteran sports writers from major dailies sharing their wealth of knowledge to our aspiring writers in the 3-day event.

Leading the lineup of speakers are People’s Journal’s Bong Pedralvez, Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Francis Ochoa, University of the Philippines professor and Business Mirror columnist Tessa Jazmines, ABSCBN’s TJ Manotoc, and Patricia Bermudez-Hizon of Solar TV.

Pacific Rims author Rafe Bartholomew, Ateneo de Manila University’s Rick Olvarez, Tina Maralit and Jonas Terrado from the Manila Bulletin, In the Zone’s Edison Ching, Firequinito blogger Jaemark Tordecilla, Sports Insider host Noel Zarate, Ignite’s Josiah Albelda, Fullcourtfresh.com’s Jenner Ong and Rex San Diego of Quezon City Science High School are also featured in the event.

“This is a big step toward achieving our goal to bring the level of campus sports journalism in the country notches higher,” said ITH 2010 Project Director Albelda.

Aside from seminars-cum-lectures from distinguished sports journalists, ITH 2010 will also be giving away cash prized to the winners of the Sports Interview Writing, Live Coverage Writing, Sports Photojournalism, and Sports Publication Section contests.

The participants will also enjoy a live PBA Game at the Araneta Coliseum on November 10 as a part of PBA’s Community Outreach Program and will pick one student who will write about the game in their official website.

From an outsider’s perspective

Jaemark Tordecilla has always been one of the most outspoken sports writers today. His ranting sessions and tirades online have either fetched praises from his fans, or earned flak from his critics.

His web log, firequinito.com, continues to make waves among the sports-loving guys in the dot.com community and was awarded in 2009 as Best Sports Blog of the Year by the Philippine Blog Awards. His posts, from basketball updates to Pacquiao stories, from haranguing of sports officials to celebrity-twitter-stalking, often started discussions among the blogosphere which, according to him, has been one of the reasons why he writes in the internet.

“My favorite part about writing, especially on the web, is the kind of discussion that my work is able to start. It’s always great when people start a stimulating conversation based on stuff I had written,” said the University of the Philippines Technology Management graduate.

 The self-confessed fan of gazillion of sports writers especially Inquirer’s Francis Ochoa, believes that In The Huddle is a good venue to produce tomorrow’s best sports writers. “Hopefully more than a handful of good writers will come out of these seminars.”

Tordecilla, currently working for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, quipped that his desire for encounters and conversations with sports stars and fans alike, has been his motivation to follow his dream of writing sports. As an advice to young and aspiring writers, he encouraged everyone to write despite being against the odds.

“Keep writing. Write even when no one’s paying you, even when no one’s reading you, even when no one thinks you’re good enough.”

He will be one of the speakers who will share their specialties in Adventurer In The Huddle 2010 National Sports Writing Congress this November and he has this to share to our participants: “[ITH] is going to be fun. I’ve been writing about sports from an outsider’s perspective, which allows me to be more irreverent, and hopefully that will translate to my talk. Also, I’ll try to work in jokes about Val Sotto.” ###

Adventurer In the Huddle 2010: Meet the Speakers: Francis T.J. Ochoa

Adventurer In the Huddle 2010: Meet the Speakers: Francis T.J. Ochoa: "PeerlessHis love for the game - and the craft - brings Francis Ochoa a cut above the rest By Mychael Thompson Miravite, The Playbook B R I ..."

Ano kayo ngayon?
Injured Squatters nip Insurance Street

A determined Road 23 Squatters squad served strong notice of its title-retention plans after scoring a heart-pounding 43-41 thriller over archrival Insurance Street Basketballers Wednesday night at the Road 23 basketball court in Quezon City.

Despite losing its main man in the paint George Nunez due to a freak collision with teammate Norman Romero just before halftime, the R23 Squatters put on a brilliant display of teamwork and steady playmaking as they uncorked a searing 10-2 run in the last two minutes to steal a win from a championship-thirsty Basketballers squad.

With their main men out, the Squatters banked on Mychael Miravite as he delivered 18 points on top of 11 rebounds and six steals.

"Langkwents mga kakampi ko. Mahirap, hampas-lupa, patay-gutom, kumakain ng panis na kanin! Muntik pa tuloy kaming matalo," said the 5-foot-4 forward who won the best player of the game honors.

The tall, dark, and handsome Nunez, who only played for 8 minutes in the game, finished with 10 points and eight rebounds while Patrick "The Korean" Corea pitched in nine points and 11 boards for the Squatters.

Miravite, who knelt, rolled onto his back, then realized he lost his wallet, poured in eight of his points in the last two minutes despite a thumb injury he sustained in their last training.

"Buti na lang magaling ako," said the gutsy freshman student off Quezon City Science High School. "Hindi ko rin alam na nakarami na ako ng score sa fourth quarter kasi nakakatawa 'yung mukha nung kalaban namin. Pero kung nakanino man ang wallet ko, sana may kaluluwa ka pa. Seryoso."

The Basketballers, known for their rugged game and their business of selling scrap metal to junk shops, were actually ahead, 39-31 with less than four minutes left, but they were shell-shocked as they watched Miravite, with a little help from point guard Henry Ong, erase their lead and pull off a two-point squeaker in the final tally.

"Tsamba. Hindi naman talaga magaling si Miravite eh. Di'ba bangko nga 'yun last game?" quipped an aghast Insurance Street head coach Ronnie Laserna who is now running as kagawad of Barangay Sangandaan but do not vote for him because he is a bad ass.

Miravite and the rest of the Squatters will face Remerville Subdivision Social Climbers on Tuesday for the last quarter finals berth.

A tough guy with a tough challenge:
Jonas Terrado

By Myke Miravite, Ignite Academic Training

Terrado: Kapag nagkamali,wag
masyadong madiscourage

“Kung gusto niyo magtrabaho rin sa major dailies, kailangan tatagan niyo lang ang sarili ninyo dahil hindi ganun kadali ang ganoong trabaho. But the key there is you enjoy what you are doing.”

A tough challenge from a tough man, eh? Well, expect more challenges from Jonas Terrado, sports writer of the Manila Bulletin and web writer for various sports leagues come November.

The 24-year-old Terrado, the Swiss Army Knife of Philippine Sports Writing, will be one of the tough guys who will be speaking in the ground-breaking Adventurer In The Huddle: 1^st National Sports Writing Congress 2010 in front of 500 sports writers and around 300 school paper advisers.

A product of De La Salle University-Dasmarinas, Terrado was also a tough chap in the basketball court during his varsity years in high school. He also writes for UAAP, NCAA, PBA, PBL, and Baseball Philippines.

When asked about his thoughts on having this big opportunity to share to young writers the many tricks he hides under his sleeves, he said it was also a big challenge for his part but he will be very glad to talk with them. “Kaya ako pumayag [na mag-speak sa In The Huddle]siguro challenge na rin sa akin ‘yan at siyempre makapagbigay din ng opportunity to teach some skills sa mga bata.”

As a recognized personality in the field of sports writing, his advice for our young sports scribes to succeed has been brutally honest and simple: “I think the key lang dyan is magbasa. Just get ideas on how to write stories then try to pattern it [after them] tapos i-apply ‘yun dun sa style mo,” he said. “Isang key rin doon ay i-enjoy lang ang iyong ginagawa. When you enjoy sports writing, I think dun lalabas ang creativeness mo and lastly learn from mistakes. Kapag nagkamali,wag masyadong madiscourage.”

Terrado will be lecturing about the dos and don’ts of sports coverage, and at the same time, he will be offering our participants a glance of the real thing—working in a pressure cooker of writing for a major daily.

“They should not miss this dahil simple ways lang ito ng pagkokober ng game na minsan medyo natatake for granted [especially sa world of campus journalism],” he added.

He also shared with us the perks and fulfillment he gets from writing sports. “Siguro ‘yung best thing sa field na to ay nakakacover ka ng mga great sporting events like the UAAP at tsaka you get to meet and talk with some of the sports personalities,” said Terrado. “At higit sa lahat, ikaw yung nagiging storyteller ng mga games and events na nacocover mo.”

Terrado also writes for Nike Summer League and De La Salle University-Dasmarinas’ Heraldo Filipino.

The Ed Ching and Sports Writing Love Affair

By Myke Miravite, Ignite Academic Training

Ching: This [Adventurer In The
Huddle] is going to be good... this
is unprecedented, and this is our
way of sharing our knowledge to
you, the future of sports writing. 

Been dreaming of seeing a Filipino in the big league? Well, Edison Ching has the big idea to make your dreams come true.

If you happen to pass by people in the street talking about Chris Tiu making it to the NBA, nine out of ten chances, they read it from Ed Ching’s blog. His blog, draftchristiu.wordpress.com, has been making waves in the sports online community. He justifies there what’s it gonna take for the NBA to draft the National Team starting guard and Filipino Ken Doll, Chris Tiu. As a BS Sports Communications graduate of International Academy of Management and Economics in Makati and Ca’ Foscari Formazione I Ricerica Venezia in Italy, Sir Ed is much more than a reliable source. He is a walking sports trivia book. And Adventurer In The Huddle National Sports Writing Congress takes pride in including him as one of the speakers who will enlighten our participants in November.

Sir Ed has been one of the speakers of last year’s successful first edition of In The Huddle. He was instrumental in Quezon City’s dominance in the field of campus sports journalism in the DepEd-sanctioned press conferences and contests. As he likes to put it, it was nothing but his love for sports that became his motivation in sharing the gospel of sports writing.

“As a student there wasn’t a lot of learning opportunity specifically for sports writing. To me, it is my way of giving back,” said Ching who is also the blogger behind DumbGenius.net. “Although I never took up journalism, I took up sports communications (which is close enough, I guess) and I see some areas where we can all improve just a little bit.”

As of May 2010, he has more than 28,500 Twitter followers and his Facebook Draftchristiu page reached 13,500 fans. Not bad and that’s because of sports writing.

When asked what our participants could expect in his talk, he said it will be a great opportunity for them to learn something that been sort of ignored by mainstream school subjects.

Though the idea of Chris Tiu dribbling along with the best basketball players in the world has not materialized in the latest draft, sir Ed’s hopes are still high and he said he would want to pass on the idea that stirred the internet world for the past months to our aspiring writers in the Adventurer-ITH 2010. “Pwede pa naman, he [Chris Tiu] is only 24,” Ching quipped.

Sir Ed has always been generous in sharing his knowledge of sports writing. As one of the speakers of Adventurer In The Huddle, he is looking forward to meet the future of sports writing in our country. “This is going to be good. For the first time ever an assortment of sports communication specialists will come together to help teach you. This is unprecedented, and this is our way of sharing our knowledge to you, the future of sportswriting."

100!

Yesterday (just a few minutes ago) was President Noynoy Aquino's 100th day as the most powerful man in a nation of more than 90 million. True, he has done missteps in the last few months but I believe he is still on-track despite the the major problems our country has faced. (Whew, I really don't know why it is so hard to resist inserting major-major in sentences like this.) Personally, I don't like Noynoy, even during the campaign season before May 10. I wanted Gibo to win the elections and to lead the Philippines. But when the votes were tallied, I had to give my hopes up. I was sensible enough to think that for us Filipinos, there is no better choice but to be united as a nation and to support PNoy's administration.

Yes, like many, I was not impressed nor stirred by Aquino's performance in his first hundred days in office. I questioned many of his decisions (being-too-good-to-be-true not deciding to live in the Palace and even contemplating of having their family's humble house in Times St. turned into the Presidential Residence; his absent-mindedness during and shortly after the Manila Hostage Taking; walking the streets of NY, instantly becoming a walking security nightmare not only for his PSGs but also to Uncle Sam's CIA; etc) during the most crucial of the times to falter. But he also made some good verdicts on making DOJ Sec. Leila de Lima the highest and most powerful official in the land during the IIRC proceedings; bringing home millions of dollars as pasalubong from his US tour; not marrying Shalani; and most of all, facing the wrath of the Catholic (taliban?) church when he pushed for the pushing of the Reproductive Health Bill.

The first 100 days of a presidency is not enough to judge if Noy handled our country's wheel well (or badly) but it is just a preview of the next few months to come. Like everybody, he has made some right decisions and some decisions that would drive Ninoy crazy. I will not rate his administration from 1-100, 100 being the highest. 85!


*******************

I've been pretty busy for the past few days. In The Huddle's just around the corner and so far, our promotions and preparations have been doing well (and kickin'!). I've been volun-told not to go home for the past week and do some typing, interviewing, researching, and some promoting for the company. Last week, I was in Iloilo promoting ITH but I was struck and killed by stage 2 dengue fever. Luckily, the docs have been busy enough not to prioritize slicing my chest and pulling out my organs to be thrown into a pit of hungry alligators. Five days later, I woke up and went back home to Manila to kill myself again. I just didn't want to die in the province.

I've been to Manila and Jejetown,* Bulacan too promoting Adventurer In The Huddle, and doing a cameo role for Okey ka Kokey the Movie.

Anyways, congratulations to my alma mater, Quezon City Science High School for placing fourth among the more than 100 schools from all around QC. You guys did a great job and I believe you can make it to the Nationals! (I really don't get it why some of the best-est writers usually lose in the Division-level while romping up the awards in the Regional, YMCA, Teodoro, and the Nationals. This jinx has hounded sports writers from QCSHS and other schools for years and the latest victims are Benson Lagason and Alexx Esponga (of JCSGO Christian Academy).

I also congratulate my friends from JCA who also won in the Divisions: Ima de Leon, 3rd in Online Writing, Bullet Sarte, also 3rd in Sports Writing, and to my friend I hate the most, Danielle Nakpil, 7th in Editorial Writing and 8th in Sports. Babawi tayo sa mga susunod na contests! Lalo na sa dyaryo! 


* San Jose del Monte City

Tete-a-tete with ITH’s big boss

 By Myke Miravite, Ignite Academic Training

Albelda: It is my desire talaga na 

ma-upgrade ang level ng sports journalism

in the Philippines. 

Gathering 500 campus sports journalists and around 300 school paper advisers from all over the country is a big, big task never been accomplished before.

But nothing could stop Ignite Academic Training director Josiah Albelda from achieving his dreams.

Albelda and his IAT, together with school supplies big name Adventurer, major dailies People’s Journal, The Manila Standard, and Business Mirror, in cooperation of Fullcourtfresh.com, Active White, JCSGO, and DZSR Sports Radio, will be organizing the biggest sports writing event in the country: Adventurer In The Huddle-2010 National Sports Writing Congress. Hundreds of sports scribes and publications advisers from elementary, secondary and tertiary levels are expected to attend the occasion happening this November 8, 10, and 12 at the JCSGO Seed Dome in Cubao, Quezon City.

As a campus sports writer during his high school days himself, the 22-year-old Albelda is seeing a brighter future for one of the most ignored aspect of journalism, sports writing. Drawing together sports writers from all over the country, and honing in them the love of the craft has been his long-time dream since accepting the job of being a school paper adviser and sports writing trainor in various schools across the region.

“It is my desire talaga na ma-upgrade ang level ng sports journalism in the Philippines. Being a campus journalist myself, alam ko kung gaano kahirap para sa school paper advisers ang sports writing kasi hindi siya nabibigyan masyado ng attention,” he said.

Now on its second edition, Adventurer In The Huddle is guaranteeing our young writers only the best Campus Journalism and Philippine Media can offer. Journal editor Bong Pedralvez takes the helm as ITH head trainor. Inquirer’s Francis Ochoa, Business Mirror columnist and University of the Philippines sports writing professor Tessa Jazmines, ABS-CBN’s TJ Manotoc, and Rafe Bartholomew, Harper’s Magazine-New York writer and Pacific Rims author are just some of our instructors who will be mentoring and guiding our aspiring writers throughout the weeklong congress.

“It’s not everyday that you will see the Philippines’ best sports media personalities under one roof. Getting the chance to learn from them is our main goal in ITH. Of course, nandun rin ang contests, freebies, and fun for everyone,” he added.

Albelda, school paper adviser of Ignite which was proclaimed the best high school publication in last February’s NSPC in Tagum, quipped that he is looking forward to see sports writers from all over the Philippines gathered to learn from the experts. “I feel really blessed because I get the chance to arrange an event like this and to share our knowledge not only to students here in Metro Manila, but also to our far-flung neighbors throughout Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.”

As a writer for Yahoo! Southeast Asia and a contributor to Inquirer Libre, he also shared the best things about working in his chosen field. “The best thing in sports writing is you get paid to do what you love; you meet and mingle with sports personalities, you get to watch games that fans would die for, and best of all, you get the chance to share your story to your readers.”

Competitions for school and university publications, as well as participating students and school paper advisers, will also spice up the event. A total prize pot of P100,000 in cash and in kind will be offered to the best delegates of the ground-breaking sports journalism activity.

Adventurer In The Huddle 2010 will also feature Solar Sports’ Patricia Bermudez-Hizon, Business Mirror sports writer and Ateneo de Manila University instructor Rick Olivarez, Manila Bulletin Sports Digest Magazine’s Tina Maralit, Manila Bulletin’s Jonas Terrado, In The Zone and DraftChrisTiu blogger Edison Ching, QC Science High School’s Rex San Diego, Fullcourtfresh’s Jenner Ong, and Albelda as trainors in the three-day event. A pair of sports stars of the past and the future will be featured as PBA legend Allan Caidic and UAAP 2010 MVP Ryan Roose Garcia grace the event.


In its first edition last year, ITH has been instrumental to a number of QC sports journalists in their winning in the Division, Regional, and National-level contests as well as to their school publications' bagging of string of awards from the RSSPC, the Metro-Manila-wide Teodoro Valencia Search, and the prestigious National Schools Press Conference.

When asked about how ITH will ensure that participants get nothing but only the best, Albelda—with a big smile on his face and a big vision for the event—just said “Come and they will see.”

Sign-up for this: In The Huddle 2010

What's this and what do we get from this?
In The Huddle 2010 is a national-level sportswriting congress catered for our country's future sports writers. The first-of-its-kind in the Philippines, it is patterned after international and high-class workshops and seminars that promises to deliver only the best the Philippine media can offer.

After a successful pioneering edition which produced numerous winners in both individual writing and sports section contests last year, ITH is bound to get bigger, better and bolder.

Veteran sports media personalities in the likes of ABS-CBN Sports' TJ Manotoc, Philippine Daily Inquirer's Francis Ochoa, Harper Magazine-New York editor and Pacific Rims author Rafe Bartholomew, among others will share their wealth of knowledge in sports writing, aiming not only to increase our sports scribes' skill level but also to foster in them the love of the craft.

We have designed a program synonymous to effectiveness and excellence; no frills and no spills. The participants will enjoy an interactive way of learning sports writing though talks, interviews, forums, contests (both for the students and the school organ), sports photography crash course, and even a campus media tour to offices of print and multimedia organizations and a taste of live-game coverage in the Philippine Basketball Association at the Araneta Coliseum.

Cash prizes and gift packs also await participants and winners in the contest events.

ITH2010 will not only be a memorable experience for the students, but will surely hone their skills in campus journalism and beyond.


Where are we going to stay during the congress?
ITH2010, with the cooperation of our official hotel partner, Kabayan Hotel, has arranged for our participants from the provinces discounted hotel packages throughout the week-long congress. Kabayan Hotel-Cubao is walking distance away from EDSA, Araneta Center, Aurora Blvd. and public transport main thoroughfares and just a jeepney ride away from the venue.


What makes this event a win-win opportunity for our school?
With veteran sports and media personalities from major dailies, radio and TV, and instructors from the top universities and respected high schools in the country, ITH 2010 is an offer unparalleled by others. Last year, In The Huddle proved to be instrumental to a number of Quezon City sports writers in their winning in the Division, Regional, and National-level contests as well as to their school publications' bagging of string of awards from the RSSPC, the Metro-Manila-wide Teodoro Valencia Search, and the prestigious National Schools Press Conference. This year wouldn't be any different. With much loaded roster of activities and well-known personalities to grace the event, In The Huddle 2010 promises you and your school only the best.


Who can join this and how do we register?
Students from elementary, high school, and college levels, both public and private, can join in the event.  Bona fide students from participating schools are eligible to compete in sports writing and sports photography (elementary, secondary, and collegiate-level) competitions while their school organs' latest sports section issue can compete in the search for the best sports section in the Philippines.

You can register by dropping by at the Ignite Academic Training Office, Unit 3A, Adelina I Condominium, Yale cor. Columbia Streets, Cubao, Quezon City (we are open Mondays to Fridays, 9am-7pm). You can also contact our Communications Unit at (0917) 478 3237 / (0923) 950 0320 or email us at igniteworkshops@rocketmail.com.

Registration fee for the three-day congress is pegged at Php 650.00 but pre-registrants who will register on or before October 20 will pay only Php 550.00. We are also offering a group package at Php 2,500.00 for a group of five delegates coming from the same school.

For more information, just feel free to inquire at the numbers given above or visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ith2010

By Myke Miravite, Ignite Academic Training

Step by step to a zero-footprint future

The world is on the verge of destruction and we humans are the primary cause of it. 

In times when humanity needs what nature provides, it is indispensable to know how much we’re using and how much we have to use. To measure humanity’s demand on nature, environmentalists in the United States came up with an idea. It aims to measure how much land and water a human population requires to produce the resource it consumes and to absorb its wastes, using prevailing technology. They called it the Ecological Footprint. 

Our environment’s situation has gone from bad to worse. Since the 70’s, humanity has been in ecological overshoot, with annual demand on resources exceeding what earth can regenerate each year. As of this decade, the earth takes a period of one year and five months to regenerate what we use in a year or an equivalent of 1.4 planets to provide the resources we use and absorb our waste—a clear sign of something bad happening. 

Overshoot is a vastly underestimated threat to human well-being and to the health of the planet. According to a United Nations report, by the middle of the next decade, we will need the equivalent of two earths to support us. And of course, we only have one. Badly, it is also not adequately addressed with most of us ignoring the signs of it. Most of the time, people know it, but we tend to ignore it. 

In some areas of the world, the implications of ecological deficits can be devastating, leading to resource loss, ecosystem collapse, debt, poverty, famine, and war. 

The good news is it is not too late for us and planet earth. We can still maintain this overshoot by liquidating earth’s resources—recycling, eating naturally-produced foods, and less use of fossil fuels. The antidote to this problem is very simple. Paradoxically, people seem to be ignorant about it. 

By measuring the Footprint of a population, whether it’s of an individual, city, business, nation, or of all of mankind, we can assess our pressure on the planet, which helps us manage our ecological assets more wisely and take personal and collective action in support of a world where humanity lives within the earth’s bounds.
In today’s world where humanity has already exceeded earth’s limits, ecological assets are becoming more critical. Many countries are already running ecological deficits, with footprints larger than their own capacity. It is high time to change the norm. We have to make securing the future a top priority. We should protect our biggest resource—the planet earth. Myke Miravite

Blue reigns in Game 1; Eagles shame out-of-sync Tams

Blue reigns in Game 1

Eagles shame out-of-sync Tams

By Danielle Nakpil and Myke Miravite, Ignite and Ignite Academic Workshops :)

The Eagle soared high above the mud paddling Tamaraws.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles dismantled the overconfident yet sluggish Far Eastern University Tamaraws in an easy 72-49 trouncing in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 73 men’s basketball finals Saturday afternoon.

The Katipunan five sizzled early, dropping a 17-2 bomb in the first quarter that buried the FEU squad in a 26-8 lead in which they weren’t able to recover.

Having a flawless 14-0 slate in the elims, the Morayta-based squad seemed too confident of their previous performances and lost focus on the game that really mattered, missing 25 of 32 firings in the first half.

“We just did a good job preparing,” said Coach Norman Black who is eyeing for his 3^rd straight championship with Ateneo. “We're happy. We're excited. But we're not overconfident.”

After FEU won in their last two meetings in the elims, the Blue Eagles bounced back as they scored 15 fastbreak points while forcing the Tamaraws to turn the ball over 13 times.

“It wasn't just me. I think I just led them but it was actually a total team effort,” said Kirk Long who sported a golden hairdo. “It was all worth the preparation.”

The determined Ateneo squad leaned on Long’s all around game, finishing with 14 markers, five boards and two steals while Eman Monfort who was earlier awarded as this year’s Most Improved Player added nine points, seven rebounds and four assists to tame the crown hungry Tamaraws.

But it was the leech like defense that made wonders for the Loyola based cagers.

The lanky 6’5 center JP Erram, who averages minimal minutes on the court, shone this time for the Blue Eagles as he led his team in the defensive end, posting 5 blocks coming with 4 points and 3 rebounds.

"Matagal na naming pina-practice yun (containing FEU's bigs)," Erram said. "Ginawa ko lang yung role ko kase kailangang mag step up."

The dynamic duo of Season’s MVP Ryan Roose Garcia and Rookie of the Year Terrence Romeo failed to carry FEU with barely 11 and 10 points as the rest of the team scored a woeful 27% from the floor.

"I am embarrassed," said Athletic Director Mark Molina of his team's showing. "We were completely outplayed. We let everybody down. We surrendered."

The FEU Tamaraws are looking forward for sweet revenge on Game 2 of their best of three finals showdown with the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum.