Balanga Chooks-to-Go’s late rally fell short as the team lost to Lyon of France, 18-14, Saturday to bow out of the 2019 FIBA 3X3 Jeddah Masters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last Saturday.
The team from the Philippines finished winless in what is regarded as FIBA 3×3’s group of death event in this level 10 affair.
Earlier in the day, Balanga fell to world no. 2 Riga Ghetto, 11-22, while Riga defeated Lyon, 21-14 in their group stage encounters.
Both Riga and Lyon advanced to the knockout playoffs.
Balanga fought hard in their match with Lyon, and after being down by as much as eight, 8-16, with 1:09 left.
Chris De Chavez led for Balanga, and buried three straight deuces in a 6-2 blast to cut the lead down to three with 26 ticks remaining.
Hervé Touré then scored the winning basket.
Raphael Wilson and Touré had seven points each for Lyon.
Balanga will be back on Monday to join the season one finale of the MelMac Cup.
The six-legged season two will start on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 owner Ronald Mascariñas offered to help prepare the PBA 3×3 pool for the Southeast Asia Games.
“Players from Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 are eager to share their experience and learnings competing in a number of high-level Fiba 3×3 international tournaments across the globe to help prepare the PBA 3×3 pool for the SEA Games,” said Mascariñas.
Though no one from the top 50 3×3 players in the country was selected for the SEA Games pool, Mascarinas believes the transfer of knowledge will be valuable for the players named.
The scores:
Lyon 18—Wilson 7, Touré 7, Giaimo 4, Girma 0.
Balanga 14—De Chavez 6, Pasaol 5, Santillan 2, Dehesa 1.
