By REYNALD MAGALLON
SANTA ROSA – Manila Chooks! was dealt a heartbreaking 17-15 defeat by Zaisan MMC Energy in the semifinals of the Chooks-to-Go International Standalone Quest at the Ayala Mall Solenad here on Friday, Sept. 16.
The loss dashed the hopes for a Filipino team to book an outright spot to the main draw of the Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3×3 World Tour Cebu Masters in October after both Cebu Chooks! and Butuan Chooks! got eliminated right on the group stage.
Butuan finished dead-last in the Pool B standing with a 0-3 record while Cebu, although had a chance to advance to the semifinals, ultimately bowed down to Zaisan with a painful 21-17 loss that saw the Mac Tallo-led Filipinos lose grip of their lead towards the end behind the hot-shooting of Mongolian ace Ulzii-Orshikh Myagmursen.
Even against Manila in the semis, he proved to be the biggest torn to the side of the Filipinos, exploding for 12 of the team’s total output after an impressive scoring display highlighted by accurate sniping and blinding speed.
Manila did put up a fight though as they went exclusively on Henry Iloka inside that allowed the Filipinos to tie the game at 12-all. Myagmursen delivered three straight points to keep the Mongolians afloat but Iloka retaliated with three-straight points of his own to come within one, 16-15 with 27 seconds left.
That however proved to be the final stand for the Filipinos as Manila just couldn’t buy any basket in the waning minutes of the contest.
Iloka paced Manila with 10 points.
In the other bracket, Saitama preserved its unblemished record in the tournament as Marko Milakovic drilled the game-clinching deuce in the overtime, 18-16 against UlaanBaatar to set up the Final dance against Zaisan.
Saitama spearheaded by Japanese 3×3 Olympian Tomoya Ochiai and Serbian big man Teodor Atanasov then stamped its class in the Finals and humbled Zaisan, 21-13, to bag the $10,000 top prize and book a spot to the main draw of the Cebu Masters in October.
