Spanish 3×3 player Jose Blasquez of Lubao MCFASolver-Pampanga goes for a layup during one of their qualifying matches in the Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3×3 World Tour Cebu Masters. | FIBA 3×3 Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Lubao MCFASolver-Pampanga punched their way into the main draw of the Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3X3 World Tour Cebu Masters on the first day of hostilities on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at the SM Seaside City Cebu.
Lubao was one of the two teams from the Philippines competing in the prestigious international FIBA 3×3 tournament this weekend.
Lubao defeated the Taiwan’s Taichung Hong Jia, 19-10, and Aukland-New Zealand, 17-11, in the qualifying matches held earlier today to make it into the main draw under Pool D.
Former Cebu Chooks big man Mike Harry Nzeusseu and Spain’s No. 11-ranked 3×3 player Jose Blasquez powered Lubao in both games.
Lubao clobbered Taichung in their first game, 19-10, behind Blasquez’s eight points and Nzeusseu’s six markers.
Taichung’s Jun Quan Luo scored five points, while Po-Yi Chen and Chi-Yi Huang each chipped in two points.
Lubao had to endure three deadlocks and two lead changes before they started pulling away with a five-point lead and the victory, 15-10, from Nzeusseu and Blasquez’s scoring.
They stretched their lead as many as nine points, 19-10 until the final buzzer sounded.
Lubao duplicated their impressive outing against the Kiwis with Nzeusseu pacing the team with eight points, all scored in the painted area, while Blasquez aided him with six markers.
The lone Filipino in Lubao’s roster, Terence Tumalip, scored three points.
Christopher McIntosh scored seven points while Takiula Weston Fahrensohn had two markers in Auckland’s losing efforts.
The Kiwis had a good start after establishing a two-point cushion, 6-4, but Nzeusseu quickly erased the deficit with two straight points, tying the game at 6-all with 6:18 remaining.
Lubao then hammered the Kiwis with a 10-0 run, to grab a whopping 10-point lead, 16-10. Lubao maintained their huge en-route to winning the game.
Lubao will play against Mongolia’s Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy in today’s last game at 8:45 p.m.
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