Manila Chooks TM suffered a heartbreaker to close out their 2021 FIBA 3×3 Montreal Masters Pool D campaign, absorbing a tough 16-21 (7:07) loss to world no. 10 Edmonton, Sunday at the Place des Festivals in Canada.
The Manila-based club team bowed out of the competition at 10th place along with USA’s Omaha as both squads finished with identical 0-2 slates with a point average of 13.5 points. Home team Old Montreal finished 12th place among the 12 teams.
Coming off a 9-21 loss to world no. 8 Antwerp earlier in the day in this maximum level tournament, 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.
“We as coaches are accountable, lalo na ako, sa result ng campaign natin. Hindi ko napalabas yung mga pinrepare natin,” he continued.
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.
Antwerp is composed of Belgium’s national team that finished in fourth place in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.