Limitless App ended TNT’s unlikely run, 14-13, to rule Leg 5 of the PBA 3×3 inaugurals, Sunday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Reymar Caduyac shone in the endgame as the Appmasters made the most out of its first-ever finals appearance, bagging home P100,000 in the Level 5 FIBA 3×3 Event in the process.
“It feels so good because I was telling the guys all day [that] we deserve this. We’ve been working so hard. We’ve been getting so close every leg, but we just couldn’t get over that hump,” expressed Ganuelas-Rosser.
Caduyac put his side up through a strong drive to the hoop, and Rosser further inflicted damage afterward with a two-point play conversion to stretch their lead to three, 14-11, with only 47.8 seconds remaining.
The Tropang Giga relied on their outside shooting to cut the gap, but couldn’t find the mark. Almond Vosotros did hit one, though it was all too late.
“To win today, it just feels really good. And to do it with them, it just feels even better,” said Ganuelas-Rosser, the brother of 5-on-5 veteran Matt.
Rosser finished with five points, including a poster dunk on counterpart Lervin Flores at the 4:18-mark. Caduyac and Jorey Napoles produced four markers apiece, as elder statesman Marvin Hayes chipped in one.
Winning the championship served as a perfect conclusion for Limitless’ run. The Appmasters impressed in the group stage, finishing as the second-seeded team in Pool A after winning three of its four assignments.
They then carried over their fine play into the knockout stages, first dealing Platinum Karaoke a 15-14 heartbreaker before taking down league leaders Meralco through a 20-14 result to reach the Last Dance.
But while it was a painful loss, TNT has nothing to be ashamed of for the Cinderella run it showed on the way to return to the finale.
The Tropa actually went 0-2 on Day 1. But they were able to salvage third place in Pool C by beating San Miguel, 21-14, setting up a meeting with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the do-or-die battle for the last quarterfinal slot.
They didn’t waste the opportunity and beat the Gin Kings, 21-10. And later on, the MVP Group’s crown jewel would make local 3×3 history when it upended the top-seeded Purefoods, the Leg 4 champs, by way of a 14-10 decision.
TNT went on to beat the ever-gutsy Terrafirma in the semis, 21-16, to book its second finals appearance in the PBA’s halfcourt competitions.
Vosotros led the Tropang Giga with eight points in the defeat, where they settled for P50,000. Flores and Chris Javier added two each.
Meanwhile, Terrafirma dominated an undermanned Meralco, 21-10, to secure its second third-place finish in the tilt to take home P30,000.
The Bolts played with only Alfred Batino and Joseph Sedurifa as Tonino Gonzaga and Dexter Maiquez suffered injuries.
The inaugural 3×3 conference is soon coming to a close. The sixth leg will be held on December 20-21 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
FINALS
Limitless 14 – Rosser 5, Napoles 4, Caduyac 4, Hayes 1,
TNT 13 – Vosotros 8, Flores 2, Javier 2, De Leon 1.
