MANILA – Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings topped the second leg of the PBA 3×3 Season 3 First Conference following a 19-17 win over Meralco Bolts at the Ayala Mall Circuit in Makati City.
Ralph Cu converted the go-ahead outside conversion in the overtime as the Gin Kings scored back-to-back PBA 3×3 leg championships for the first time since they participated in the competition.
Cu, a former 3×3 player for the De La Salle University Green Archers in the UAAP, finished the finals with six points as the Gin Kings took home the top cash prize of P100,000.
Kim Aurin led the Gin Kings with eight points, Ralph Salcedo and Donald Gumaru finished with three and two points, respectively, rounding out the scoring for the squad of head coach Kirk Collier.
The Bolts were ahead early in the championship game at 10-7 but the Gin Kings went on a run to tie the score at 16-all before Meralco took the lead for the last time at 17-16 via a basket from Alfred Batino.
Donald Gumaru, who drilled the game-winning basket for the Gin Kings in the leg 1 finale, converted a perimeter basket for a 17-all score, sending the finals game to the extra period.
Batino finished with a team-high six points for the Bolts, Joseph Sedurifa added five markers, while Negrense Jeffrey Manday and Bryan Santos combined for six points. They pocketed the P50,000 runner-up purse.
On their way to the quarterfinals, the Gin Kings prevailed over sister team Purefoods TJ Titans, 17-13, while the Bolts turned back guest team Wilcon Depot in a low-scoring game 14-13.
In the semifinals round, Meralco defeated sister team Cavitex Braves, 21-18, while Barangay Ginebra won over Blackwater Bossing, 22-17.
Cavitex, meanwhile, notched a second straight third-place finish this conference with a 19-15 win over Blackwater. Tonino Gonzaga finished with seven points and five rebounds for the Braves, which secured the P30,000 prize money./PN
