Saitama Sweeps Chooks 3×3

Saitama Alphas get ticket to Cebu Masters and $10,000

       SANTA ROSA City – Filipino entries fell one by one by the wayside as the country went home empty-handed at the 2022 Chooks To Go Pilipinas 3×3 International Quest Friday at the Ayala Malls Solenad.  Saitama Alphas of Japan bested Zaisan MMC Energy of Mongolia, 20-13, to rule the one-day tournament via a clean sweep.

Manila Chooks emerged as the last Pinoy team standing but they dropped a heartbreaker in the semifinals against Zaisan, 17-15.  The other local entries, Cebu Chooks and Butuan Chooks, failed to survive the group stage.

Zaisan controlled the game from the start but Manila managed to tie the score at 12-12 through the efforts of Henry Iloka.  That was the cue for Ulzii-Orshikh Myagmarsuren to rescue Zaisan with four straight points, 16-12.

Iloka continued his personal assault with three more points to threaten, 15-16, but Myagmarsuren quickly defused it with another basket for the final tally.  Manila playing coach Chico Lanete had a chance to send the game into overtime but his attempt missed with the Mongolians controlling the rebound and dribbling the time away.

Fielding four 3×3 rookies, Butuan lost all their three games.  They opened with a 7-22 loss to Zaisan followed by setbacks against Cebu, 19-21, and Saitama, 11-22.

Top Pinoy squad Cebu was a major disappointment and started on the wrong foot with Saitama getting the 13-11 squeaker.  They bounced back against Butuan but lost the group stage against Zaisan, 17-21, which turned into a virtual knockout for the last semifinal berth.

Saitama pocketed $10,000 (P570,000) and a spot in the group stage of the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Cebu Masters set for October 1 and 2 at the SM Seaside City.  Zaisan took $5,000 (P285,000) and will see action in the qualifying round of the same tournament.

In the Sudan Daniel Slam Dunk Contest, top Pinoy pro dunker David Carlos bested an international field composed of Peter Osang of Nigeria and Steve Lin of Chinese-Taipei.  Carlos unleashed his repertoire of power dunks to pocket P20,000.

Despite the unfavorable results, Boss Ronald Mascarinas of Chooks To Go hinted that the Philippines will be represented by at least one team in the Cebu Masters.  As hosts, the country is entitled to a wild card subject to the number of confirmed foreign entries.