RJ Abarrientos caught fire from the field, drilling three four-pointers and six triples on his way to a 34-point outing, while new import Jordan Murphy added 30 points to power Barangay Ginebra past Rain or Shine, 129-111, in the PBA Governors" Cup on Friday.

Jerom Lastimosa and import KJ Buffen powered the Magnolia Hotshots to their fourth consecutive win in the PBA Governors" Cup, escaping the Blackwater Bossing, 107-101, on Friday.

BEIJING, China — Homegrown hero Zheng Qinwen pulled out some of her best tennis to beat Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) at the China Open on Friday and storm into a semi-final against Belgium's Elise Mertens. Zheng, a wildcard entry in Beijing, finally notched her first straight-sets win of this year's tournament having needed more than 10 hours on court to get to the quarter-finals. The world number 54 sent the crowd roaring as she punched winners down the line, though the seventh-ranked Svitolina came back fighting to force a second set tie-break. Zheng double-faulted on the first point but crawled her way out from a 0-2 deficit and fell onto her back victorious after winning her second match point. "Truthfully, because I really wanted to grab this win, I was really nervous," the 24-year-old told the crowd. "I played really aggressive in important moments," she said, adding that her opponent "raised her level" in a tight second set. Svitolina made just 13 unforced errors over the one-hour-and-47-minute match, but was outgunned by 48 winners from the 2024 Olympic champion. - Mertens upsets Swiatek - Mertens, the world number 19, beat Poland's Iga Swiatek 7-6 (7/0), 6-3, overcoming some nerves to dump out the 2023 title winner. "I tried to be consistent. She's a great player, so I had to really push myself," said Mertens, who had lost both of her two previous matches against eighth-seeded Swiatek. "It was really nerve-wracking at the end but I kept myself calm... I just can't believe it." The 30-year-old was the evening's better technician, making just 11 unforced errors to Swiatek's 34 across the one-hour-and-50-minute affair. Mertens had surged into her singles quarter-final after beating third-seeded Coco Gauff, also in straight sets.

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde extended its winning streak to four games after defeating Arellano University, 94-82, in the NCAA Season 102 men"s basketball tournament on Friday.

MANILA, Philippines — College of Saint Benilde claimed the number one spot after defeating Arellano University, 94-82, in the crossover round of the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament on Friday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. The Benilde Blazers tallied a league-leading 6-1 win-loss record, while Arellano absorbed its third consecutive loss with a 4-3 card. Justine Sanchez received the player of the game plum, with 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists for St. Benilde. “What happened is that we remained composed, and I told to my teammates that we should help each other, and we can do this. I told them that whatever happens, we should stay together," said Sanchez in Filipino. Benilde’s supporting cast provided ample help for Sanchez with Jhommel Ancheta leading the way on offense with 18 points. The duo of SJ Moore and Zenric Jarque also helped the cause with 12 points each. Basti Valencia topscored for Arellano with 17 points. T-Mc Ongotan’s struggles continued as he dropped 14 on a 4-for-11 shooting night. King Vinoya also scattered 12 points as his squad dropped to 4-3 in Group B. The scores: CSB (94) - Ancheta 18, Sanchez 17, Moore 12, Jarque 12, Morales 9, Torres 9, Jucom 6, Podador 6, Cajucom 5,Go 0, Lorenzo 0, Daja 0, Arciaga 0 AU (82) - Valencia 17, Ongotan 14, Vinoya 12, Buenaventura 10, Borromeo 8, Langit 8, Geronimo 4, Hernal 3, Camay 2, Abiera 2, Cabotaje 2, Flores 0, Manansala 0 Quarter scores: 25-26, 42-48, 73-70, 94-82

MADRID — NBA champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has joined the ownership group at Atletico Madrid, the Spanish top-flight club said Friday. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard has become the latest North American sports star to take an interest in soccer, following the likes of LeBron James and Tom Brady. “This is a club with a long-standing presence at the top of European football, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of its future,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. Atletico said the partnership was “grounded in shared values: ambition, excellence and the belief that every result must be earned.” James became a part-owner of the Fenway Sports Group in 2021, the conglomerate that owns the Boston Red Sox and iconic Premier League club Liverpool. NFL great Brady is a minority owner of English second-tier team Birmingham. Atletico did not reveal how big a stake 2025 NBA champion and back-to-back NBA MVP Gilgeous-Alexander had taken. “His investment reflects an interest in the club’s long-term vision and international growth,” it said. Atletico, second in the standings, visits La Liga rival Alaves on Saturday.

Magnolia leaned on the trio of Jerome Lastimosa, KJ Buffen and Zavier Lucero in the second half to turn back a tough Blackwater side, 107-101, for its fourth straight win in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup on Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Lastimosa and Buffen finished with 24 points apiece, even as the Magnolia import grabbed 20 rebounds. The Hotshots outrebounded the Bossing, 55-37, showing their aggressiveness from the get-go Lucero, fresh from his recent Gilas Pilipinas stint in the Asian Games, added 17 for Magnolia, which also held a massive 56-23 advantage in bench points. It was sweet revenge for the Hotshots who suffered an 89-81 loss to the Bossing in their first meeting last July 17. Magnolia improved to 5-3 overall, while Blackwater dropped to 3-4, winning just once in its last five games after a 2-0 start. Sedrick Barefield led the Bossing with 24 points, while import Kentrell Barkley added 20, 12 and eight assists.

The duo of Lawrence Mangubat and Chris Hubilla powered Jose Rizal University (JRU) past San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 102-78, in the NCAA Season 102 men"s basketball tournament on Friday.

NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament   Benilde def. Arellano (94-82) Justine Sanchez Player of the Game #NCAASeason102

Gilas Pilipinas" failure to defend its gold medal at the recent Asian Games was partly attributed to the absence of its core players, as the tournament did not coincide with the FIBA window.

ESPN host and NBA insider Brian Windhorst believes it is only a matter of time before a homegrown Filipino basketball player makes it to the world's premier basketball league.

MANILA, Philippines — Jose Rizal University (JRU) showed no mercy as it demolished San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 102-78, in the crossover round of the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament on Friday afternoon at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. The JRU Heavy Bombers improved to a 5-1 win-loss card, tied with College of Saint Benilde on top of the Pool A rankings. The Golden Stags, on the other hand, fell to 0-7. JRU, the 2026 FilOil pre-season champion, made 37 out of its 69 field goal attempts for a 53.6 percent clip. San Sebastian could not find its rhythm and made 28 out of its 64 attempts for a 43.1 field goal percentage. Lawrence Mangubat led the scoring for the Heavy Bombers with 20 points along with eight rebounds, while Chris Hubilla made a double-double performance of 14 points and 11 rebounds. Niel Castro tried to put up the fight for San Sebastián by scoring 17 points.