GABE NORWOOD, the do-it-all Filipino-American of Hapee Toothpaste, turned out as the major stumbling block in Jason Castro’s dream of cornering his third Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

The 23-year-old George Mason University standout landed in the top five on almost all pertinent statistical departments after the semifinal round of the 2008 Philippine Basketball League (PBL) Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup.

The six-foot-five Norwood finished fifth in scoring, second in rebounds, fourth in assists and first in steals, making him a prime candidate for the much-coveted individual award in basketball.

The only amateur player in the Philippine Basketball Association-backed national team that finished ninth in the Fiba-Asia qualifier in Tokushima, Japan, last year, Norwood posted the biggest challenge to the 21-year-old Castro in what many expected a very tight race for the MVP award.

After the semifinals, Norwood finished No. 5 in scoring with 13.1 points per game (ppg) while Castro, the five-foot-seven athletic guard of Harbour Centre, ended up second with 15.2 ppg.

Noosa Shoes’s Noy Javier emerged as the league’s top scorer with 17.7 ppg, while San Mig Coffee’s Neil Raneses (14.7) and Bonbon Custodio (14.2) ranked No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.

Norwood was second best in the rebounds department with 7.4 caroms a game. Pharex bruiser Jam Alfad topped that category with 8.2. Batang Pier’s Chad Alonzo was third with 7.1 rpg, while Raneses and Chito Jaime of Toyota Otis were tied in fourth and fifth with 6.9  rpg.

Pharex guad Ronnie Bughao was the top playmaker in the conference with 5.2 assists per game, while Kelvin de la Peña of the Shoe Stars and Don Villamin of the Medics were tied in second and third spots with 5.1 helpers a game. Norwood was No. 4 with 4.9 apg and Khiel Misa of Burger King rounded out the top five with 4.3 apg.

Norwood was also the chief thief of the tournament with 2.1 steals per game. He was followed by Bughao (1.8), Hapee’s Mark Borboran (1.4), Javier (1.4) and Misa (1.3). Norwood averaged 32.4 minutes per game, also No. 1 in that category.

Besides statistical points, players and media votes also play vital role in the process in choosing the MVP winner, who will be named in Game Three of the PBL finals between Harbour Centre and Hapee in Tanauan City, Batangas.

Seventh (Game) Heaven

Pro football unquestionably has become America’s sporting obsession. There’s no offseason anymore. There’s no month when the National Football League (NFL) isn’t front and center in the culture’s consciousness.

F.E.U. men, women march in Nike tourney

FAR Eastern University (FEU) relied on nerves of steel as two of its teams nosed out determined opponents in the Nike Summer League basketball tournament Saturday at the FEU Gym.

GABE NORWOOD, the do-it-all Filipino-American of Hapee Toothpaste, turned out as the major stumbling block in Jason Castro’s dream of cornering his third Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

TOP officials of Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) urged BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) president Manny V. Pangilinan to honor the Bangkok Agreement to have a “true, unified basketball federation” in the country.

THE Philippines did not lose a match in the 2008 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup qualifiers in Iloilo, but still failed to qualify for the tournament proper set from July 30 to August 10 in Hyderabad, India.

Willy Wang did the country proud again after flashing his old deadly form to win a gold medal in the seventh Asian Wushu Championship Thursday at the TaShi Gymnasium in Macau.

University of St. La Salle (USLS)-Bacolod spoiled University of San Jose-Recoletos’ (USJ-R) bid for a crack at the last semifinal berth as it fashioned out a 25-23, 23-25, 25-11, 25-13 victory Sunday to pave the way for Lyceum’s stint in the next round at the close of the quarterfinal phase in the Shakey’s V-League Season 5 at The Arena in San Juan.

WHEN those 1970’s Boston Celtics ran onto the court of their opponent’s arena, Paul Silas would routinely ask the sportswriters how many people they thought were in attendance.