Bataan edged out Pasig, 19-18, in a thrilling finale Saturday to claim the first leg of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 President’s Cup at the SM Megamall Events Center.
University of the East star Alvin Pasaol sealed the victory by blocking Taylor Statham’s game-tying attempt, earning the Risers the top purse of P100,000.
La Salle’s Santi Santillan, Adamson’s Sean Manganti and former Ateneo guard Anton Asistio were the other members of the victorious squad in the inaugural leg of the competition staged by Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascarinas.
The second leg of the President’s Cup will be held on Feb. 24 at the same venue.
Pasig rallied from a 16-11 deficit to take an 18-17 courtesy of Joshua Munzon with 55 seconds left.
But Bataan scored back-to-back baskets, including Santillan’s go-ahead conversion off Pasig’s Troy Rike with 30 seconds left.
Joining Munzon, Statham and Rike on the Pasig lineup was former PBA cager Dylan Ababou.
Meanwhile, University of the Philippines’ Kobe Paras captured the Gameville Dunk Contest over National University’s Daniel Chatman with a one-handed tomahawk jam over four referees.
Paras earned a 49 for his dunk while Chatman placed second with a 39.
Ababou, meanwhile, beat Asistio, 6-3, to claim the Three-Point Shootout title. (Jonas Terrado)
