Lady Macbeth made Philippine sports history by defeating Philippine Army Altama 21-11 to win the inaugural Manila Hustle 3×3 presented by SMART and Uratex, held in front of a large crowd at Robinsons Magnolia in Quezon City.
Gilas pool member Kacey Dela Rosa, filling in for Jack Animan, proved her worth with nine points, including the game-winning free throw with 29 seconds left in the 10-minute contest.
Dela Rosa was named MVP and named to the Mythical 3 along with Army’s Mar Prado and 1Eyehansol’s Dunarang Kim.
“I just try to play good defense, just lucky to make those shots. But we did it through a well game plan by coach Pat (Aquino) and sheer teamwork. It’s a big shoe to fill as Jack (Animan) is the best player for Lady Macbeth,” said Dela Rosa.
Janine Pontejos and Khate Castillo scored six points each, while Katrina Guytingco provided strong defense.
The team had a rough start in the group eliminations but made a huge comeback to win the championship.
“Hindi namin inakalang kami ang magiging champion dahil hindi naging maganda ang preparasyon sa elimination. But we made it through sheer determination of the players, I’m very happy for this,” said Aquino.
The victory earned Lady Macbeth a trophy and a prize of $3,000. The Korean squad 1Eyehansol won the bronze by defeating Discovery Perlas 21-12, earning $1,000.
Uratex Managing Director Peachy Medina expressed gratitude for the support and hopes for a larger tournament in the future.
“We’re truly grateful and honored. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all players, coaches, officials, technical people, staff, and sponsors for supporting and helping us in this endeavor. Mahirap,pero nagawan natin ng paraan. Hopefully, mas malaking tournament ang magawa natin sa susunod,” said Uratex Managing Director and head of the organizing committee Peachy Medina.
