Manila Chooks TM bows to Edmonton, ends Montreal 3×3 campaign
Manila Chooks TM team’s Mark Yee (from left), Zach Huang, Dennis Santos, and Mac Tallo . | Photo from Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Manila Chooks TM 3×3 squad suffered a heartbreaking defeat to end their campaign in the 2021 FIBA 3×3 Montreal Masters Pool D, after falling to world No. 10 Edmonton, 16-21, on Sunday at the Places des Festivals in Montreal, Canada.
The team officially bowed out of the competition after suffering two straight defeats in one day. They started their campaign with a loss to World No. 8 Antwerp, 11-21, on the same day.
They were ranked 10th after their campaign along with the United States’ Omaha which also had a, 0-2, slate and an average 13.5 points per game.
The home team, Old Montreal was the bottom-ranked team after losing both their games as well.
Cebuano Mac Tallo willed Manila Chooks TM with booming deuces and daredevil drives to keep pace with the taller Canadians.
Tallo had a game-high 11 points built on three deuces and four one-point shots. Fouls though plagued Manila Chooks TM in the endgame.
After a Ross Bekkering bucket that broke the deadlock, Zach Huang committed Manila Chooks TM’s seventh foul that put Steve Sir to the stripe for two.
The former World Cup shootout champ, who was playing in his last Masters, knocked down the two freebies with ease.
Alex Johnson then converted on the game-winner with 2:53 left.
“We have no excuses,” said Manila Chooks TM head trainer Aldin Ayo. “Hindi lumabas yung mga pinractice namin. (What we practiced did not come out in the game.)
“We as coaches are accountable, lalo na ako, sa result ng campaign natin. Hindi ko napalabas yung mga pinrepare natin,” he continued.
(We as coaches are accountable, especially me, on the result of our campaign.)
Dennis Santos and Mark Yee added two markers each while Huang chipped in a point.
Guard Adika Peter-McNeilly had seven points to lead Edmonton, who together with Antwerp will advance to the next round. Six-foot-eight Dutchman had six points while Sir and Johnson tallied five and three points, respectively.
In Manila Chooks TM’s first game, Tallo had five points. Yee and Huang finished with three markers each as Dennis Santos went scoreless.
Belgium’s top player Nick Celis, who stands at 6-foot-5, had nine points for Antwerp, going 7-of-8 from the field. Six-foot-six Thierry Marien added eight markers as he went 6-of-6 from the field.
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