Photo from FIBA.com
Facing the best three-man unit in the world, Manila exited the 2016 Fiba 3×3 All-Stars in the first round, losing to defending champion Novi Sad Al Wahda, 18-11, Friday at Al Gharafa Sports Complex in Doha, Qatar.
The Philippine team led by Bright Akhuetie, CJ Perez, Sidney Onwubere, and Rey Guevarra, tied the game at eight before allowing the Serbs-backed United Arab Emirate take a 12-8 lead.
Perez and Onwubere pulled the Filipinos within one, 12-11, but Novi Sad Al Wahda was just too much, finishing the game with a 6-0 run.
Despite the loss, Akhuetie still had a pair of highlights in the game, including a thunderous dunk midway in the contest.
Novi Sad Al Wahda, comprised of Dusan Bulut, Dejan Majstorovic, Marko Savic, and Marko Zdero, would go on to retain the title, trumping archrivals Ljubljana led by tournament’s leading scorer Jasmin Hercegovac, 21-12, in the Finals.
USA’s NY Harlem completed the podium with a third place finish.
Former world champions Doha of host country Qatar wound up fourth, Saskatoon of Canada got fifth, Hamamatsu of Japan went sixth, Manila placed seventh, and McGill U of Canada ranked last.