DLSU men’s basketball coach Topex Robinson was in the US on a scouting trip when the Green Archers beat Adamson, 21-18, to bag the UAAP 3x3 crown at the Calatagan South Beach resort in Batangas last week. Although he wasn’t in town, Robinson’s imprint was evident in the way Kevin Quiambao, CJ Austria, Josh David and Francis Escandor played with discipline and resolve under coach Ogie Ng.
In the championship game, the Falcons zoomed to a 9-4 lead with 3:53 left then David knocked down two straight shots from beyond the arc to trim the gap to one. Adamson struck back to move up, 11-8 with 3:08 to go then La Salle dropped a 5-0 bomb capped by another David double as the Archers surged ahead, 13-11 on a 9-2 run. The score was tied 18-all with 29 ticks remaining then Quiambao took over, hitting a jumper and two free throws to end it, leaving nine seconds on the clock. Austria paced the Archers with nine points with David chipping in six, Quiambao five plus 10 rebounds and Escandor one. Adamson’s Didat Hanapi netted eight with Jhon Calisay and Ivan Maata tallying five apiece.
La Salle finished with a 5-0 record. In the elims, the Archers turned back FEU, 21-20, Adamson, 18-11 and UP, 17-9 before taking out NU, 21-13, in the semis. Adamson opened with a 17-11 win over FEU then lost to La Salle but bounced back to defeat UP, 19-13 and oust defending champion UST, 21-19 in the semis. The Bulldogs scuttled UST, 21-16 in the battle for third.
“Winning the 3x3 tournament set the tone for our vision in Season 86,” said Robinson. “We want to be the best version of ourselves in every opportunity that we get as a team, creating a habit of winning at every level.” The four Archers came from playing a PBA D-League game the day before logging three straight contests at CaSoBe. Austria, who led La Salle in scoring with a 6.6 clip, was named MVP. Ng, a St. Benilde graduate, was brought in by Robinson to join his coaching staff with Gian Nazario, Caloy Garcia, Oliver Bunyi, Mon Jose and JB Sison.
In the women’s division, UST upset defending titlist NU, 18-11 to win the crown as Tantoy Ferrer, recovered from ACL and MCL surgery, collected eight points, 10 rebounds and two assists. MVP Eka Soriano added seven points, four rebounds and six assists. Tin Cayabyab paced NU with five points. NU never led and after Tacky Tacatac buried a double with 2:34 left, the count stood still until the final buzzer. There were two early ties but when UST erected a 16-9 edge, the outcome was never in doubt. Ateneo outplayed Adamson, 21-15, for third place.
It was the second straight year that Landco, through senior consultant for hospitality and tourism/Board director Patrick Gregorio, staged the event at Calatagan. Gregorio attended the two-day competition with UAAP executive director Atty. Rebo Saguisag and members of the UAAP Board of Managing Directors. Landco, Metro Pacific Tollways South, Calax/Cavitex, Havaianas, Macbeth and the municipality of Calatagan sponsored the tournament.