ALLAN THE MAN

France dethroned two-time defending champions Spain with a 75-72 overtime win in Friday's second Semi-Final at EuroBasket 2013 to return to the Final and set up a showdown against Lithuania.

Tony Parker scored 32 points and Antoine Diot had 10 points including four free-throws in the final 23 seconds as France came back from a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat their nemesis and now will take aim at winning their first European title on Sunday.

Lithuania are in the EuroBasket final for the fifth time - and first since the 2003 title - knocking off Croatia 77-62 to set up a date with either France to decide ultimate EuroBasket 2013 glory.

Croatia will fight for their third bronze medal after 1993 and 1995.

Senator Pia Cayetano on Friday lashed out at officials of UAAP schools over the non-participation of athletes in swimming events, calling it “a sad sad day in Philippine sports.”

Swimmers from University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle University did not compete on Thursday reportedly in protest of a court ruling allowing University of the Philippines swimmer Mikee Bartolome to compete in the UAAP.

Manny Pacquiao isn’t the only international celebrity in the family. His outspoken mother Dionisia Dapidran, 64, was mentioned in Adam Smith’s book “Beautifully Brutal – the Family Ties at the Heart of Boxing,” published in London last year.

Mommy Dionisia went to the US for the first time to watch her son fight Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas in 2009. 

Ateneo guard Kiefer Ravena will be a man on a mission in the next two years as he strives to win the UAAP championship in his final two seasons in the league.

Ravena and the rest of the Blue Eagles ended their season a lot earlier than they would like after losing to the University of Santo Tomas in their last game of the elimination round, which allowed the Growling Tigers to snatch the last berth in the Final Four.

After a difficult campaign that saw them fail to make the Final Four in the UAAP Season 76 tournament, the management of the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors is hoping to see reforms in the collegiate league next year.

The Red Warriors entered the season as a contender after winning the FilOil tournament in the pre-season, but stumbled out of the gate. 

LIKE most of us, James Yap is excited to see the Philippines play once again in the world basketball championships.

But that does not mean the 31-year-old pride of Escalante, Negros Occidental pride is longing to play for the Gilas Pilipinas team bound for Spain next year, even if an offer will be on hand.