CEBU CITY — Manila Chooks! dropped out of contention after a 14-21 loss to Serbia’s Ub Huishan NE in the quarterfinal of the 2023 Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3×3 World Tour Cebu Masters at the SM Seaside on Sunday.
Strahinja Stojacic, the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup Most Valuable Player, scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds as the Serbians knocked out the local entry.
Dejan Majstorovic tallied six points for Ub in front of a packed Cebuano crowd.
Leading by five, 19-14, Marko Brankovic, completed a two-point play to end the game with one minute and 21 minutes left on the clock.
Marcus Hammonds and Marquez Letcher-Ellis both had five points and four rebounds each for Manila Chooks! In the tournament that gives out precious qualifying points for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Manila Chooks! entered the quarterfinal after prevailing over Futian of China, 21-17, in last Saturday’s pool play.
Manila head coach Chico Lanete still sees the loss as a sign of progress for the squad as they will use this stint for future 3×3 legs.
“Ub’s chemistry is hard to beat but we never gave up. This is a big help for us since it will help us prepare for the next leg,” Lanete said.
