Sports PH News | JS DEV Site

Tag: Pat Aquino

  • Pat Aquino’s first win sparks momentum as Blackwater outlasts San Miguel 

    Pat Aquino’s first win sparks momentum as Blackwater outlasts San Miguel 

    Pat Aquino didn’t just earn his first victory as Blackwater head coach—he may have uncovered the identity his team has been searching for in all conferences.


    In a game that tested both composure and conviction, the Bossing outdueled powerhouse San Miguel, 126-120, Wednesday night to finally halt a four-game slide in their PBA Commissioner’s Cup campaign.

     

    The breakthrough didn’t come easy. Aquino had inherited a team reeling from back-to-back blowouts and still finding its footing under new leadership. 

     

    His first two games in charge only added to the frustration—a narrow loss to TNT and a lopsided defeat to Phoenix stretched the skid. But instead of unraveling, Blackwater leaned in.

     

    “One for the books, of course. So tough,” Aquino described their breakthrough.

     

    That toughness was on full display against San Miguel, a team known for punishing lapses and staging comebacks. 

     

    Blackwater built a lead as big as 22, only to see it slowly erased as the Beermen clawed back and even briefly seized control in the fourth quarter.

     

    OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

    Aquino, however, had already prepared his players for that exact moment.

     

    “I told them they’re gonna come back. This is a champion team, and Coach Leo is a champion coach. They’re gonna pull everything on us to get back at us. I just told the boys to never stop playing,” he explained.

     

    Import Robert Upshaw III anchored the charge with a dominant 35-point, 17-rebound, and five-assist performance, while Sedrick Barefield added 29 points and Christian David chipped in 15 points.

     

    On the other side, Bennie Boatwright did everything he could to give San Miguel their win, finishing with 38 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, but Blackwater’s resilience proved stronger in the end.

     

    For Aquino, the win was more than a number in the standings, it was validation of patience, both his and the team’s.

     

    “A lot of challenges. A lot of good coaches around the league. And this is professional. We have to be professionals in a way that we gotta deal with it na talagang you have to perform and do your best all the time,” the 54-year-old mentor said.

     

    The locker room celebration that followed, complete with a well-earned drenching for their new coach, captured a team rediscovering belief. Still, reality quickly set in.

     

    At 2-6, Blackwater remains on the outside looking in, needing a near-perfect finish in its final four games to stay in the playoff hunt. And the road doesn’t get any easier, with Barangay Ginebra up next in a grueling back-to-back.

     

    For Aquino, though, that challenge carries a personal layer. “It’s gonna be hard for us because it’s back-to-back games against another champion, and of course, my idol Tim Cone,” the veteran coach expressed.

     

    Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

      Follow our Facebook page Sports News PH today and be part of a growing community of passionate basketball fans!

  • Pat Aquino’s fire signals culture shift as Blackwater searches for breakthrough

    Pat Aquino’s fire signals culture shift as Blackwater searches for breakthrough

    The arrival of Pat Aquino in the PBA isn’t just a coaching change for Blackwater—it’s the beginning of a demanding reset.


    This comes in the wake of Jeffrey Cariaso’s resignation as head coach, prompting the franchise to turn to Aquino in hopes of steering the team in a new direction.

     

    In his first game at the helm during the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup, the Bossing fell short against TNT Tropang 5G, 99-94. But beyond the result, the game offered a glimpse into the identity Aquino is trying to build, one anchored on accountability and relentless effort.

     

    “I don’t know if I’m gonna change or what, but the thing is, I just need them to know how I feel about the game,” said Aquino, staying true to the passionate sideline presence that defined his successful stints in the collegiate ranks with National University and the Gilas Pilipinas Women’s program.

     

    That same fire was evident throughout Tuesday’s contest, where Blackwater showed more fight compared to its previous outings. 

     

    While the team still couldn’t close out down the stretch, the tighter margin was a step forward from a crushing 56-point loss to Rain or Shine and another narrow defeat prior.

     

    OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

    Against TNT, the Bossing found themselves battling a potent duo in Calvin Oftana and import Bol Bol, who erupted for 46 points to steer his squad to victory. Still, Blackwater’s resistance hinted at early buy-in from players adjusting to their new coach’s system.

     

    For Aquino, the transition to the professional ranks has been eye-opening.

     

    “Hirap pala mag-coach sa PBA. It’s so hard. I mean, a lot more adjustments to go. I know we fell short, but may little changes–I think you saw naman, may konting pagbabago, but we need more of that,” the 54-year-old admitted.

     

    Now sitting near the bottom of the standings with a three-game skid, Blackwater is navigating both growing pains and growing expectations. Aquino, however, is embracing the process alongside his players.

     

    “As I’ve told them before, I’m gonna work, and you’re gonna work. And, I’m a winner, you should be winners. I think they’re getting it. Hopefully, they get used to it, all the shouting that I’ve been doing and everything,” he said.

     

    The challenge now is translating that mindset into wins.

     

    Aquino and Blackwater gets another chance to reset on April 17 when they face Phoenix Super LPG at the Ynares Center in Montalban.

     

     Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

      Follow our Facebook page Sports News PH today and be part of a growing community of passionate basketball fans!

  • Pat Aquino begins new chapter with Blackwater in tough TNT debut

    Pat Aquino begins new chapter with Blackwater in tough TNT debut

    Pat Aquino isn’t easing into his next chapter. Two weeks removed from the end of his 12-year tenure with Gilas Pilipinas Women, the veteran coach finds himself back where the stakes are immediate and the margins are thin—this time in the PBA, tasked with reshaping one of the league’s most struggling franchises.

     

    On Tuesday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, Aquino officially begins his Blackwater tenure. And fittingly, there’s no soft landing. Waiting on the other side is a loaded TNT squad, headlined by towering import Bol Bol, in a 7:30 p.m. matchup that doubles as both debut and reality check.

     

    The transition is stark, but the mission feels familiar. Aquino built his reputation not on quick fixes, but on long-term vision. With Gilas Women, he helped lay the foundation for a program that is only now beginning to fully reap the rewards of years of discipline and identity-building. That same blueprint is what Blackwater hopes he can replicate.

     

    Because what Aquino inherits is far from stable.The Bossing sit at 1-4 in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup, a record that reflects deeper issues than just wins and losses. For a franchise that has rarely broken through into serious contention, the challenge isn’t just climbing the standings—it’s changing the culture.

     

    And that’s exactly why team owner Dioceldo Sy made the move. Aquino isn’t selling instant success. Instead, he’s leaning into what he knows best: process, patience, and accountability. The focus, at least for now, is stripped down to its core—compete every possession, fight for every rebound, stay in the game for 48 minutes.

     

    OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

    “We’ll compete and that’s where it starts.”

     

    It’s a simple message. But against TNT, it will be tested immediately. The Tropang 5G come in at 3-2, already knocking on the door of the Top Four. Their wins over NLEX, San Miguel, and Terrafirma showcased a team capable of controlling games, while narrow losses to Rain or Shine and Meralco suggest a group still refining its consistency.

     

    In contrast, Blackwater’s season has been defined by missed opportunities and uneven performances.

     

    Their lone bright spot came in a 97-91 win over Magnolia, but losses to NLEX, Terrafirma, Rain or Shine, and Titan Ultra have highlighted the gaps Aquino now has to address. The pieces are there—Sedrick Barefield’s scoring, Dolph Panopio’s playmaking, Christian David’s versatility, Abu Tratter’s presence inside, and import Robert Upshaw III anchoring the middle—but cohesion remains a work in progress.

     

    That’s where Aquino’s influence begins.

     

    Not in the box score, not in the standings, but in the habits that build over time. In the way a team responds after a run. In the discipline to stick to a system even when the game starts slipping.

     

     

    Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

    📌  Follow our Facebook page Sports News PH today and be part of a growing community of passionate basketball fans!

  • Pat Aquino bows out of Gilas Women role fulfilled, hopes next Coach elevates team further

    Pat Aquino bows out of Gilas Women role fulfilled, hopes next Coach elevates team further

    For more than a decade, Patrick “Pat” Aquino stood at the forefront of a quiet revolution—one that steadily reshaped the identity of Gilas Pilipinas Women. Now, as he steps away from his role, Aquino isn’t looking back with regret, but forward with hope.


    For him the foundation has been built, and the next chapter belongs to those who will take it even further. With the Philippines set to host the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2027 for the first time, the timing of this transition signals both an ending and a beginning.

     

    “Siguro sa akin, I just wanted to, ‘yung mga nagawa namin, sana pagpatuloy ng whoever is the next head coach. And for me, ‘yung mga girls din, maalagaaan ng mabuti,” Aquino said.

     

    Rather than holding on to the past, Aquino is urging the program to outgrow them. He envisions a future where the next generation, both players and head coach—pushes beyond the standards his tenure established.

     

    “Sana ma-outgrow what we did and, walang bias or anything, I want to really go up pa. Sana magawa nila or whoever who is going to change me, I hope na wag siya ma-pressure and just do everything para umakyat pa ‘yung Philippines,” he said.

     

    Aquino’s pride in the program is deeply rooted in its collective journey. Over the years, Gilas Women climbed from 56th in the world rankings to 30th. Yet for Aquino, that progress was never about individual recognition.

     

    OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

    He reflected that reaching nearly three decades in the program is a milestone he takes pride in, but emphasized that the achievement is not his alone, crediting the women who have represented the national team over the years for building and shaping the program into what it is today.

     

    His gratitude also extends to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, which entrusted him with the role for more than ten years.

     

    “First of all, I would just want to thank the federation for giving me that opportunity. It’s been a long 10 years or more na I’ve been at the helm as the head coach of the Gilas Pilipinas Women,” said Aquino in an interview after a Blackwater Bossing game on Tuesday, where he now serves as a full-time assistant coach.

     

    Aquino admits there’s a lingering sense of “what could have been”—especially with major tournaments on the horizon.

     

    “In a way, yes of course. Medyo nanghihinayang. For the last time na ginagawa ko ito, umaalis kami. And then now, we wanted to show na we can play at the same level as the Asian countries,” Aquino expressed.

     

    Yet that feeling is balanced by a deeper satisfaction: the knowledge that the team he leaves behind is no longer just competing—it’s contending. That belief was reinforced during their recent stint in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifiers in Lyon, where Gilas Women secured a breakthrough win against Colombia, marking Aquino’s final victory as head coach on the global stage.

     

    Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

      Follow our Facebook page Sports News PH today and be part of a growing community of passionate basketball fans! 

  • Gilas Women ushers in a new era as Patrick Aquino steps down as head coach of the national team

    Gilas Women ushers in a new era as Patrick Aquino steps down as head coach of the national team

    After more than a decade of steering the program from obscurity to relevance, head coach Patrick Aquino is stepping away from the sidelines, marking the end of a defining chapter and the beginning of a broader vision for Philippine women’s basketball.


    The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) announced on March 28 that Aquino will transition into a new role centered on talent identification and grassroots development, working alongside program director Norman Black. 

     

    “The SBP thanks coach Patrick Aquino for everything that he has done for the program and for all his efforts in the development of women’s basketball in the country. But now it’s time to move forward and do more for Gilas Pilipinas Women and the entire women’s basketball community in the country,” said SBP president Ricky Vargas.

     

    Aquino’s tenure was not merely long—it was transformative. When he took over in 2014, the program was still searching for identity and consistency. Over the years, he helped shape a competitive national team that could stand its ground in Asia and, eventually, make noise on the global stage. 

     

    His crowning breakthrough came in 2019, when Gilas Women captured its first Southeast Asian Games gold medal—an achievement that redefined expectations. The team would go on to add more podium finishes, including another gold in Bangkok.

     

    Under his guidance, the Philippines climbed to Division A status in the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup at both senior and youth levels, a sign of sustained growth rather than isolated success. 

     

    OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

    More recently, the team delivered a historic 74-59 upset over world No. 19 Colombia in the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in France—its first victory against a non-Asian squad, and perhaps the clearest indication yet of how far the program has come.

     

    And yet, even with progress evident, the SBP sees a shifting landscape that demands a different approach.

     

    “The landscape of women’s basketball is changing as we’re seeing Filipina talent sprouting from all over the world. The talent of our Filipina players is also being recognized as doors are opening for them all over the world. We need to harness all of this into our team,” said Vargas.

     

    That global expansion of talent is at the heart of the federation’s next move. Rather than simply replacing Aquino, the SBP is casting a wide net—one that may extend beyond Philippine borders.

    SBP Executive Director Erika Dy underscored the importance of a comprehensive search.


    “We’re going to have a thorough process to determine who will lead Gilas Pilipinas Women moving forward. We’re not limiting ourselves to local coaches,” Dy said. 

     

    Gilas Women is coming off a 1-4 campaign in the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Lyon, France. More importantly, the road ahead is packed with high-stakes tournaments, the Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in August, the Asian Games in Japan in September 2026, and the Philippines’ hosting of the 2027 Asia Cup.

     

    In that context, Aquino’s new role may prove just as vital as his time on the bench. By focusing on grassroots development and global talent identification, he becomes a bridge between the program’s past and its future.

     

    Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

      Follow our Facebook page Sports News PH today and be part of a growing community of passionate basketball fans! 

  • Pat Aquino proud of Gilas Women’s historic first win against non-Asian team 

    Pat Aquino proud of Gilas Women’s historic first win against non-Asian team 

    The journey may have ended, but not without a breakthrough that could redefine the future of the program.

     

    The Gilas Pilipinas Women closed their campaign in the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament with more than just a win—they left with validation.

     

    Their 74-59 triumph over the Colombia women’s national basketball team at the Astroballe was not only a highlight of their stint but a landmark moment in Philippine women’s basketball. It marked the first time the national team defeated a non-Asian opponent, a breakthrough that carried weight far beyond the final score.

     

    As the buzzer sounded, the celebration said it all. The Filipinas erupted in joy—hands raised, heads high—fully aware of the significance of what they had just accomplished against a higher-ranked foe.

     

    For head coach Patrick Aquino, the result was a reflection of belief meeting opportunity.

    “Looking at the matchups, the height gaps and everything, we’re outmatched by everyone. I wanted to be clear, this is not a lack of talent,” Aquino said during the post-game press conference.

     

    “The girls proved that Filipinas can play basketball. Definitely, we’re up to this world-class level. They never gave up, I’m so proud of them,” he added.

     

    OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.

    The numbers may show a 1-4 record, but the context tells a different story. Gilas navigated a gauntlet of elite competition, facing France women’s national basketball team, Germany women’s national basketball team, South Korea women’s national basketball team, and Nigeria women’s national basketball team—all established forces on the global stage.

     

    Each game brought lessons, adjustments, and glimpses of a team learning in real time how to compete at the highest level. By the time they faced Colombia, those lessons had taken shape, culminating in a performance that combined resilience, execution, and composure.

     

    For Aquino, who has spent a decade guiding the program, the moment was deeply personal.

    “Yeah, reflecting on this journey. I’ve been with the Gilas program for a decade now. And seeing how we’ve grown, how we’ve become a team, and seeing them compete at this world-class level — it’s a journey we’ll cherish forever,” Aquino said.

     

    “And winning a game outside Asia against a top-caliber team means a lot back home. It’s probably the next step for us — to build more players in the program so we can sustain and compete at this level,” he added.

     

    In the end, the standings may show an early exit, but the message is far more significant. Gilas Pilipinas Women didn’t just participate—they proved they belong.

     

    Don’t miss out on the latest sports news, updates, and fan discussions!

     📌 Follow our Facebook page Sports News PH today and be part of a growing community of passionate basketball fans!