The finalists of the Taiwan Excellence 3-on-3 Hoops Challenge take a photo with incoming UP player Kobe Paras, older brother Andre, and Taiwan Excellence chief Clement Chen. Ivan Saldajeno |
By Ivan Saldajeno
MANDALUYONG--AMA was all around the SM Megamall Event Center on Sunday as the school swept the Taiwan Excellence 3-on-3 Hoops Challenge over the weekend.
In fact, two teams representing the Titans collided in the finals of the open and the U19 divisions on Sunday.
In the open division final, the triumvirate of Christian Germino, Alec Catroce, and JR Dela Rosa, known as AMA 2, bucked off having to play without a substitute and battling Cameroonian center Moustapha El-Adari and beat his AMA 4, which also has Alvin Fuentes, Rochil Saor, and Nikon Alina, 18-14, to the delight of AMA's PBA D-League player Andre Paras, who was a special guest in the finale along with younger brother Kobe.
On the other hand, Earl Ceniza came up huge down the stretch for AMA 1 to edge AMA 3, 13-12, in the U19 final.
Ceniza scored AMA 1's last six points, including the eventual game-winner with 40 seconds left, to lift the team past AMA 3.
National University, led Joshua Sinclair and John Galinato, took the third spot in the open division, while St. Benilde International School won third place in the U19 division.
In the dunk contest, David Carlos once again showed why he is the top professional dunker in the Philippines, beating protege Darwin Cantong and former college basketball star Jebb Bulawan in the showdown.
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