Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Lervin Flores jumped over Renato Ular, host Andrei Felix, and judge Empoy Marquez and hammered the tomahawk dunk to win the Slam Dunk contest in the 2017 NCAA All-Star Friday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
The Arellano forward scored a perfect 50 in the Finals to outlast St. Benilde’s Justin Gutang and Ular.
Lervin Flores jumps over three people! Perfect 50! #NCAASeason93 pic.twitter.com/B1s93NQCeh
— Randolph B. Leongson (@RLeongsonINQ) September 1, 2017
“I really prepared hard for it. I was thinking in the final round to jump over (Eugene) Toba, but he lost, so I just convinced myself to be firm. I was also thinking to jump over (Elie) Ongolo Ongolo,” kidded Flores, who was undoubtedly enjoying his time with his dance celebrations to pump the crowd.
The Kapampangan forward also relished winning the title on his second try after losing last year to champion Yankie Haruna.
“Without Yankie, I really took the opportunity to be a champion,” he said.
Justin Gutang pys a tribute to last year’s dunk champ Yankie Haruna, gets a 45. #NCAASeason93 pic.twitter.com/Krsnuhjm7a
— Randolph B. Leongson (@RLeongsonINQ) September 1, 2017
Gutang paid tribute to Haruna in his championship slam with a 360 flush while wearing Haruna’s jersey, which got him a 45.
Ular, meanwhile, failed to make his ambitious off-the-glass dunk in the championship and settled for 30.
Flores topped the first round after completing an off-the-bounce two handed reverse to nab a 45.
Letran’s Renato Ular makes his dunk, gets a 45. #NCAASeason93 pic.twitter.com/dVjVAdXjY5
— Randolph B. Leongson (@RLeongsonINQ) September 1, 2017
Also joining the competitions were San Beda’s Toba, JRU’s Jed Sarmiento, Lyceum’s Yancy Remulla, EAC’s Rustan Bugarin, San Sebatsian’s Allyn Bulanadi, Perpetual’s Kervin Lucente, who all missed their dunk attempts in the first round.
The competition was judged by Alab Pilipinas coach Jimmy Alapag, reigning ABL Local MVP Bobby Ray Parks, celebrities Marquez and Ria Atayde, and NCAA Press Corps president Cedelf P. Tupas of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.