MANILA – Domark Matillano of Muntinlupa Cagers bucked the odds to emerge as the three-point king in the 2022 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League All-Star over the weekend at the Batangas City Coliseum.
The Bacolod City native displayed his outside shooting accuracy to defeat former PBA players Lester Alvarez and Ronjay Buenafe, both playing for Valenzuela City Xur.
Matillano, a standout from the Philippine Merchant Marine School, clinched the MPBL 3-PT title with 18 points. Buenafe fell short with 17 points, while previous champion Alvarez ended with 13.
Matillano almost fell short of reaching the championship round after misfiring early in the first round before getting his shots to fall to finish with 14 markers.
Buenafe, a one-time PBA champion with Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, topped the preliminaries with 15 points, while Alvarez also qualified with 14 markers.
Judel Fuentes of San Juan-Go For Gold Knights and Jolo Mendoza of Rizal Xentro Mall finished with 13 points each, while Sean Jamora of Sarangani Marlins tallied 10 points.
Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards’ Jonathan Uyloan and Bacolodnon John Byron Villarias had nine and eight points, respectively, while Pampanga Giant Lantern’s Christian Lagrama also had eight.
Completing the MPBL three-point shootout competitors were former PBA players Levi Hernandez of Batangas City and Patrick Cabahug of Valenzuela City.
Prior to joining the Cagers in the ongoing 2022 MPBL Season, Matillano has suited up with Valenzuela City Family Brand Sardines in the previous MPBL conferences.
Matillano also played for AMA Online Education Titans in the PBA Developmental League and in CAA Annex B National High School during his high school years./PN
