Veteran Filipino cager Chino Lanete goes for a layup during their campaign in the 2022 Ulaanbaatar FIBA 3×3 Super Quest in Mongolia. | Photo from Chooks Pilipinas Media Bureau
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Manila Chooks and Cebu Chooks 3×3 squads both had an anticlimactic finish in the 2022 Ulaanbaatar FIBA 3×3 Super Quest in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, last Saturday.
After their great start, both the Manila and Cebu Chooks finished fourth and sixth places respectively.
Manila Chooks’ stellar run ended with a loss to Zaisan MMC Energy,16-21, in the semifinals last Saturday at the UB Arena in Mongolia.
Meanwhile, the Cebu Chooks bowed to Zavkhan in the quarterfinals, 20-17.
Manila Chooks and Zaisan, already familiar with each other after facing in the pool stage of the 2022 Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3×3 Asia Pacific Super Quest last May 1 in Laguna, went on a tooth-and-nail battle in their match last Saturday.
However, Ikhbayar Chuluunbaatar found his rhythm and led Zaisan with back-to-back baskets to provide his team the 19-15, lead with 5:13 remaining.
Manila’s Henry Iloka retaliated, but Gan-Erdene Gantsolmon scored another basket at 4:59 left to win the game, 21-16, to book a ticket to the 2022 Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3×3 Manila Masters which is slated to take place from May 28-29.
Gantsolmon, Mongolia’s No. 3-ranked player, dropped 12 points in the contest built on five deuces. Chuluunbaatar added seven markers. Dennis Santos was the top scorer for Manila with six points while Chico Lanete chipped in four.
Also qualifying for the Manila Masters is Ulaanbaatar as it defeated Zavkhan in the other bracket, 22-17.
Despite their losses, Manila and Cebu Chooks still qualify for the maximum level tournament in Manila later this month along with Sansar of Mongolia.
SCORES:
Zaisan 21 – Gantsolmon 12, Chuluunbaatar 7, Nyamdorj 2, Batsaikhan 0
Manila 16 – Santos 6, Lanete 4, Iloka 3, Dennison 3
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