Terrafirma emerged as a favorite following a perfect run in Day 1 of the PBA 3×3 inaugurals’ third leg, Saturday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
Dedicating their campaign to recovering comrade Roider Cabrera, the inspired quartet of Matt Salem, Dhon Reverente, Terrence Tumalip, and Jebb Bulawan finished with a spotless 3-0 record to sit atop the five-team Pool A.
The Dyip began the day with a stunning 22-18 victory over Leg 2 champions Meralco. They then followed it up with a 17-14 conquest of Pioneer Pro Tibay before wrapping up their day by dominating NorthPort, 21-11.
Terrafirma is headed to its third straight quarterfinal appearance and will look to finish the pool stage unblemished versus Zamboanga tomorrow.
The Valientes remain the only winless ball club in the Level 5 tournament. One of the league’s guest teams, they lost eight games combined in the previous two legs, and have dropped three games in the current stop so far.
Meanwhile, Sista is on pace to book its second consecutive quarters trip as it is presently leading the competitive Pool B with a clean 2-0 card.
The Super Sealers began their campaign with a stunning 22-19 win over Platinum Karaoke, indeed sweet revenge as they got back on the very same squad that booted them out of the quarterfinals in the second leg.
They went on to cap off their day with a pulsating 21-20 win over San Miguel, dealing the Beermen another heartbreak as SMB melted down and suffered a 20-21 defeat in the hands of Barangay Ginebra earlier.
The two-ball was indeed key for the Rain or Shine franchise. Leo De Vera drilled one from the corner to sink his familiar 3×3 foes in Platinum, while young gun Kenneth Mocon sank a deuce of his own to finish off San Miguel.
Sista shoots for a sweep tomorrow against the Gin Kings, while Platinum will meet the Beermen anew in matches crucial for the pool’s seeding.
Another unbeaten team after Day 1 is Purefoods, who took down CAVITEX and Limitless App to lead Pool C with a 2-0 slate.
The Tender Juicy Titans dealt the Braves a 21-13 defeat before pummeling the Appmasters through a 20-17 decision to finish the day.
Limitless fell to 1-1 with that loss, with their lone win coming from an undermanned TNT whom they faced with only two men.
The Tropang Giga were already without Lervin Flores due to a suspension imposed by the league and his team, and their predicament worsened when Jeremiah Gray fell down due to a suspected hyper-extended knee.
That left gunslinging guard Almond Vosotros and forward Samboy De Leon to carry the fight. The remaining duo put on a gallant stand but ultimately bowed, 16-21, in the rematch of Leg 2’s battle for third place.
Six more pool stage games are set to be played on Day 2 of the competitions, with the knockout stages set to start at 3:00 p.m.
