CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur — Jerrick Ahanmisi shone the brightest in the PBA Season 50 All-Star side events after ruling the Three-Point Shootout before an appreciative crowd at the Candon City Arena here, Friday night.
Barely an hour after winning the Obstacle Challenge, the Terrafirma guard conquered the contest among some of the league’s finest marksmen with a dramatic victory over Marcio Lassiter in the championship round.
The San Miguel star was already in the lead with 25 points and emerged as a favorite to win his breakthrough crown, but then came the 28-year-old gunslinger with a rousing performance in which he rifled in 30 big points.
He tied and then surpassed the score to beat in the penultimate rack — located at the right wing — on the way to becoming the first-ever player in PBA All-Star history to capture two Skills Challenge titles in just one night.
“This is just a product of our work every single day,” offered Ahanmisi. “The things that people don’t see on camera, this is what it’s for.”
(C) PBA Images
Ahanmisi was actually the third and last entrant to the finale after scoring 22 points, the same amount Gomez de Liano had made earlier.
By netting 22, he eliminated both Ginebra wing Ralph Cu and Andrei Caracut of Rain or Shine from contention, as the two finished with 21 apiece.
Gomez de Liano wasn’t able to sustain his rhythm come the Final by scoring just 18. Then Lassiter, shortly after, put himself in the lead, giving the impression that he was about to snare an All-Star plaque that’s been eluding him.
But the PBA’s all-time three-point leader would prove unlucky in his bid yet again, with Ahanmisi stealing the show with a performance to remember.
“I look up to Marcio all the time,” he said. “Even before I came into the PBA, I looked up to him as a shooter, as a role model. And just to be able to show everybody that I can do what he can do as well, it’s just a blessing from God.”
Then-reigning champion Calvin Oftana failed to advance after scoring just 16 in the first round of the tilt that also featured Sedrick Barefield, Javi Gomez de Liano, CJ Cansino, Xyrus Torres, Ef Escandor, and King Caralipio.
#WATCH: PRODUCT OF HARD WORK 🚌
Jerrick Ahanmisi says winning both the #PBA50 Obstacle Challenge and Three-Point Shootout titles is a testament to the work he put in#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/anatmtB4Fl
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/zqtDHByOsf
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 6, 2026
