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What went wrong?

Rising Sun Arena, Shizuoka, Japan -- It was a short lived tenure in the PPL as the Fuji Rising Sun bow down in their relegation match against Gwapsak.

Asked what happened with their season, the management released this statement:

"As you all know, we pride ourselves in being a perennial contender, tournament winner all while being a proud All-Filipino team.

We were a Top-4 team in the National Tournament that affected our standing in the Philippine Premier League. We were so busy in real life business that we didn't spend much for our team here in the league. We have a low payroll (100k) less and instead of paying for caliber players, we are penalized by the Player Salaries Floor. In hindsight, we should've spent those money to compete but we didn't notice until it was too late and there are no more players to our liking. So, it definitely contributed to the short-lived tenure of our team in the Premier League."

Asked about their plan moving forward, GM Maro said "we intend to rebuild. We've been trying to for quite some time but our players are performing. Now that we managed to make the PPL again albeit just one season, we want to move forward with our young guns instead of our reliable veterans.."

With that, expect the Fuji Rising Sun to put their players in the market esp. their veterans and see their value. "They're invaluable to us, but perhaps, it's time to let go.."

Rising Sun Arena, Shizuoka, Japan -- At 23:15 the Fuji Rising Sun management decided to put up a fire sale of their current roster. "It's not really a fire sale per se as we value our players," Sun's owner Yo Chi said. "Afterall, they've been here for a long-time but we would like to rebuild."

The Sun's are currently 1-1 and is poised to win - if not at least make the playoffs in the league if they retain their players - but the management really wants to do a "makeover" of their group.

"We feel this is it for Rebo and Grava," Maro said. "they gave it all their two seasons ago to make the playoffs but we disappoint them when we underspend in the Premier League."

Rumor has it that the Suns are "open" to sell the available players at the right price. An insider said, "PM and management will listen."

Lechoneros tops League II.2, heading to the PPL

The Talisay Lechoneros finally bagged their first ever League II crown. Team owner and former manager could not contain his emotions as he raised the trophy in front of their loyal fans.

“We have come a long way and had been through a lot but at last we did it!”, Nz exclaimed. Talking to the crowd, “ we would not been able to achieve this accomplishment without going through hell but finally we came out on top", he exclaimed.

It can be recalled that 4 seasons ago that NZ, with his K pop career starting to take off, together with board members of the team decided to go a different direction and looked for a replacement GM. They hired the former memongs manager Don Manoah. Almost everybody remember him as a fouled mouth manager, firing f…. bombs left and right with a sprinkle of pis….ng y..a on the side .

But he gets things done as his resume will show. During the Golden age of Buzzebeater in the Philippines, he took the memongs to a finals stint on the PPL and appeared on the the Philippines Cup finals twice.

Eyes were raised when the first order of business by Don Manoah was to change the team name from Holy Saints to Talisay Lechoneros. Fans were enraged especially the season ticket holders that have been Saints fans since its inception. “I have made this decision for the organization to realize that it’s a dawn of a new era”, he explained. “we will no longer be push overs and we will approach every single game as warriors. And if anybody is still not satisfied with that response, well I already did cause I can mga pis… y..a!”, he shouted.

He immediately made an impression to the core players of the team. They realized that he was tough and rough (there was an alleged incident that had Rondalla on a choke hold until Rondalla fainted for being late for one minute for practice). But he was also a father figure to most of the young players. He would make comfort foods for the players during away games that cures the most extreme homesickness away ( he once was offered to become a sous chef for Gordon Ramsay but he declined citing Ramsay to be too conservative in his hauls of profanities)

Sought by reporters about his plans now they PPL bound, the Don sighed, “ Can you all mfs at least me enjoy this moment? Look PPL is a different animal to tackle with. We are talking here the best 16 teams of the country and if you f… up one aspect of this game then sayonara! Ahh just the thought of it gives me a headache!” He quickly shouted, “ Now all of you get of my face and let me enjoy my 5 years rhum and lechon paksiw!!!”

As they say, Winning cures everything.

Sharks trump rival Jazz in season opener

League III.10 Elimination Round
SN Forum

The San Nicolas Sharks exact a modicum of revenge against their bitter rivals Gilas Jazz as they both opened their season in the SN Forum, 114-111.

Coming off their high-octane encounter in last season's Conference championship game a few weeks ago, the Sharks and the Jazz took about half a quarter to warm their engines up. Both teams combined for just 9 points in the first five minutes of the opening canto.

But once they got going, they both went off all game long. It was a back and forth affair until the final moments of the game. Just after the 2 minute mark, Hector Casas nails a thee pointer to go up by two, 108-106. But a jam from newcomer Yousef Bin-Yaseen underneath and a three from fellow newbie Pablo López gave them the lead at 111-108. Avraham Egozi then gets fouled and shoots two from the line, making the first but missing the second shot. But the rebound was caught by Casas and ended up with Edu Vasa for a layup to again put the game on deadlock at 111-all.

Markos Papatrichas finally broke the deadlock for the last time with a jumper to make it 113-111. The Jazz sue for time with about 22 ticks left, which went awry as the ball was intercepted by Cas. The scramble for the ball saw it end up with Pere Cardona with about six seconds remaining and he pulls up from deep to try and win the game but missed.

"We dodged a bullet there in the end" said team manager Ceruver. "It's always a bind playing this team. There's something about this matchup the brings out the best of both sides." he further added.

"There's still tension there. It wasn't long ago when we met with the stakes as high as it can get. So there was a lot to prove entering this game." said Papatrichas, who ended up with 27 points on 52% shooting from the field. "They made an incredible run last season. They took the champions to the limit before they ran out of gas but that just gives them a lot more confidence. So we had to take care of this game."

New acquisitions Lopez and Bin-Yaseen proved their worth early by scoring 29 and 16 points respectively, while Koke Dzotsenidze had 16pts and 13rebs for the night.

The Sharks will face Icea next this coming Tuesday, followed by a BBM match against French Connection from France.

Sharks notch 2nd League win with drubbing of Icea

League III.10 Elimination Round
Namja Ileum

En route to their 2nd win of the season, the San Nicolas Sharks walloped their hosts Icea to the tune of a 39-point drubbing, 114-75 at Namja Ileum.

After a relatively close opening salvo where the Sharks were up by just eight, 30-22, the visiting defense choked the home squad to submission as by the second canto, allowing just 15 points while scoring 31 of their own to increase the spread to 24 by halftime, 61-37.

Icea showed a little fight in the third quarter but merely exchanging baskets with the Cavite-based squad was not the best of outcomes. With the lead ballooning to about 30 points during the start of the last quarter, it was already extended garbage time from that point on.

The Sharks backcourt came to play, with Markos Papatrichas scoring game-high 33 points followed by AD Cas's 25 markers. Paco Barrueso scored 20 points off the bench for the Sharks, who were playing without the services of Yousef Bin-Yaseen, Pablo López and Koki Dzotsenidze, who were all rested for the game.

"These were the wins we need to have if we want to re-establish ourselves as a top threat in the League." said team manager Ceruver. We need to take advantage of these games and provide confidence to as much members of our roster as possible.

"It's a good tuneup for the long road ahead." said a determined Papatrichas, who also dished out eight assists in the win. "We have a BBM game and a Cup game all in one day so getting the rest of the boys geared up for those outings will surely be an advantage for us." he further added.

The Sharks will be facing French Connection from France to begin their BuzzerBeater Madness campaign at 7am on July 8th followed by their National Tournament game against 5th leaguer dipinsa at 5:30pm on the same day. They return to League action on the 10th of July hosting Pussy Cats at the SN Forum.

Sharks overwhelm opponent in BBM opener

BuzzerBeater Madness
Neutral Ground

It did not take long for the San Nicolas Sharks to dispose of their French counterparts, French Connection, to the tune of a 96-62 blowout win on neutral ground to notch their first win in the inaugural season of BuzzerBeater Madness.

The Sharks were hot out of the gate, scoring the first 11 points of the game. This initial blast was not immediately followed through as the first quarter concluded with the Sharks leading at 19-8.

This was when the Sharks decided to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. The Cavite five dominated the period with scoring 28 points while allowing only 10 for the French squad. The first half ends with the Sharks pretty much at the driver seat, 47-18.

With the game already out of reach early, team manager Ceruver decided to rest the starters for the majority of the 2nd half, using them sporadically as and when scoring runs were being attempted by the other side.

"It was pretty much straightforward when we saw the way they played in the first few minutes that we were ready to make adjustments early and implement our system from the 2nd quarter onwards." Ceruver mentioned. "The objective was to remove their sweet spot within the perimeter and make it hard for them to even take shots there." the Sharks' gaffer added.

"Overall, I'm very happy with the way we defended in this game. They stuck to their individual assignment and it paid off." Ceruver said in conclusion.

Pablo López topscores with 23 points, followed by Markos Papatrichas' 21. Double-double performances from Yousef Bin-Yaseen and Koki Dzotsenidze as well in the victory. But the key stat is the fact that due to the enormous lead early on, the starters did not have to spend much time on the floor, with Papatrichas seeing the most time at 32 minutes.

"We're all figuring this new tournament format out just like the rest of the teams." said Papatrichas. "We have such a tight turnaround for our next game so this type of result can only help us as we can rest our key guys for the road ahead if need be."

The Sharks will not be able to savor much of this victory as they will have to return to the SN Forum later today to face dipinsa in their opening National Tournament assignment at 5:30pm.

Sharks cap double game-day with dominant Cup win

Pilipinas National Tournament
SN Forum

There was no punches pulled as the San Nicolas Sharks showed their might against a hapless dipinsa team, 132-33, in front of a sold-out SN Forum.

Even without the backcourt tandem of Markos Papatrichas and AD Cas, both of whom were rested for the game, the new boys of Pablo López, Koki Dzotsenidze and Yousef Bin-Yaseen came out to play and walloped the visiting side. The Cavite five lorded over 33 points in the opening canto while allowing just eight on defense.

The second quarter did not prove to be any better for dipinsa as they scored only five points while getting pummeled for 25 by the Sharks for a 58-13 spread at the halfway mark.

It was extended garbage time from then on. But given the short rotation the big guns saw a lot of playing time, and the lead kept growing and growing. The Sharks did not relent until the final buzzer, as the gap between the two squads nearly reached the century mark.

López again topscored for the Sharks, notching a triple-double with 41 markers, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, followed by Paco Barrueso with 31. Both Dzotsenidze and Bin-Yaseen scored 20 while Arlie Villarin had 18 of his own.

"Not a bad way to end the day." team manager Ceruver chided. "It's a good feeling to score back-to-back wins on the same day. It shows how we are capable of pacing ourselves and still getting results that we need." he further added.

"It's still the start of the season though. We'll see how we really fare when we are in the midst of the regular season and competing in as much competition as we can."

"This was a good win, but this is just the beginning. Let's see how far we can go in the Cup as well as with the other competitions that we're in right now." said López.

The victory caps off a busy gameday that saw them win against French Connection in their BuzzerBeater Madness season opener. The Sharks will return to action as they look to extend their good form in the League against Pussy Cats in the first of their three televised games this season.

Bin-Yaseen shines in commanding win to share early season lead

League III.10 Elimination Round
SN Forum

It was time for another member of the Sharks to show their prowess on the court, and it turned out to be Yousef Bin-Yaseen as the San Nicolas Sharks demolished their visitors Pussy Cats, 129-53, at the SN Forum.

Dominating from the get-go, Bin-Yaseen already picked up 12 points in the opening quarter built on his aggressiveness on the offensive glass en route to a 33-12 score at the end of the first 12 minutes of action.

After looking to be the only Shark going off for the night, the rest of the squad followed suit with Markos Papatrichas and Pablo López joined the scoring party. The trio built the lead in the middle quarters to the point where the visitors were beaten to submission by halftime, 63-23.

When the starters were rested late in the game, the bench players kept the party rolling, with Paco Barrueso adding the finishing touches to what the starting unit initiated. The dominance was typified by the fact that they did not score under 30 points in any quarter throughout the game.

The Israeli dynamo Bin-Yaseen scored 24 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, eight of which were from the offensive end. Barrueso also scored 24 points as they padded the lead in the 2nd half. Markos Papatrichas also had 19 markers as the entire Sharks roster made contributions of at least five points in the game.

The opposing side were led by both Hansen Sadiong and Ricson Martirez, who each had 12 points and were the only players in double figures.

“He was a monster tonight.” Said team manager Ceruver of Bin-Yaseen. “He gobbled up all the boards and gave us every chance for another possession. It was very fun to watch him work like that.”

“I guess it had to do with what I ate this morning.” chided Bin-Yaseen, who also had 4 blocks for the night to stamp their 13-2 shot-blocking edge. “I wanted to show what I can be on the floor and I think I did that fairly convincingly.” He further added.

“It was his night tonight, he showed us why he was brought in to this team and what he can do on the floor was on full display.” Said Koki Dzotsenidze, who missed out on a double-double himself with nine points and 13 rebounds.

The win puts the Sharks in a tie with Golden Titi atop the Big 8 standings at 3-0 each, with the Sharks losing out on point differential. They will face markandmay next, who are coming off of a loss to Golden Titi and will look to bounce back against the Cavite five on July 13.

Last edited by Ceruver at 7/10/2021 4:01:37 PM

Sharks blitz past markandmay to take solo Big 8 lead

League III.10 Elimination Round
markandmay

The San Nicolas Sharks took little time wresting the lead and the game away from fellow top 4 contender markandmay at their own home floor, 102-83.

Powered by a balanced attack early on, the Cavite five scored the first nine points of the game before settling for a 23-14 lead after the first 12 minutes. They would not turn their backs since as they pummeled their hosts even further with a 37-16 second quarter to put the game out of reach by halftime, 60-30.

Markos Papatrichas led the way with 21 markers, followed by Yousef Bin-Yaseen with 16 and Koki Dzotsenidze's 15. All other members of the Sharks roster scored at least three points in the game to further typify the distributed scoring approach.

"We were really looking forward to this game given our matchup history and the way we both are positioned in the standings" said team manager Ceruver.

"I know it's still early on but they look to be a potential matchup for us in the playoffs so it was crucial for us to get a win to gauge ourselves." he further added.

The Sharks entered the game sharing the top seed in the standings with Golden Titi, but with their squad suffering a 139-97 drubbing at the hands of Gilas Jazz the Sharks would be the one taking the lead entering the next League gameday.

But before they return to League action, they will first resume their BBM campaign against Italian side UncleDrew Team later tonight at 11:55pm followed by their National Tournament 2nd round game against Tm____^^^^LKZ tomorrow at 5:30pm.

Only after those two assignments will they resume their League campaign against RATSVILLE Razors this Saturday at 5:30pm.

San Nicolas' balanced attack overwhelm BBM foe

BuzzerBeater Madness
Neutral Arena

It had all the makings of a down-the-wire matchup, but the San Nicolas Sharks found an extra gear that their BBM counterparts UncleDrew Team could not match leading to a 101-77 drubbing at the hands of the Cavite five on neutral ground.

It was a close matchup throughout the first half with UncleDrew keeping in step with the Sharks. The first 24 minutes ended with just a five-point lead for San Nicolas, 45-40.

But a furious 3rd quarter storm allowed the Sharks to fully take control of the game for good. Powered by the triumvirate of Koki Dzotsenidze, Pablo López and Yousef Bin-Yaseen, the Bacoor ballclub kept their scoring pace while they clamped down on the defensive end, allowing just 11 points in the period. Any ensuing attempts at a comeback lacked the necessary fire to even be considered a threat from that point onwards.

The aforementioned frontcourt trio combined for 53 points, with Dzotsenidze and Bin-Yaseen notching impressive double-doubles hauling 15 boards each. Three other Sharks players scored in double figures to further underline the balanced approach to the game.

"This was a good test for us." said team manager Ceruver, "Especially in terms of how we are able to adjust our approach to the game by the 2nd half" he further added.

"Our start to the game wasn't bad at all. It was just a matter of them keeping in step with what we were doing offensively." said Markos Papatrichas, who scored 14 points in the contest. "So we needed to mix things up to try and throw them off."

With result gives the Sharks their 2nd BBM win. They will have a short turnaround however when they face Tm____^^^^LKZ in the National Tournament later today at 5:30pm.