PBA 3×3 second conference Leg 6 champion San Miguel Beermen. PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Beer ruled the Leg 6 of the PBA 3×3 second conference as Ken Bono towed the Beermen past Pioneer Pro Tibay, 21-17, in the final on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Bono poured 10 points in the final to carry the Beermen to their second leg championship this conference after winning Leg 2 last March.
Louie Vigil was also instrumental with five points including the title-clinching freethrow to bring home the P100,000 grand prize. Injured Jeff Manday chipped in four points, while James Mangahas added two.
Bono, a former UAAP MVP, carried San Miguel to stun the top-seed Meralco in the quarterfinals, 21-20, and drained the game-winning basket to beat TNT in the semifinals, 21-20, earlier.
“We went through a tough road,” said San Miguel coach Boycie Zamar, noting how the Beermen had to beat Terrafirma, 21-14, to stay in contention for a playoffs berth, and then turned back CAVITEX, 21-17, in their do-or-die encounter for the last quarterfinals slot.
Gian Abrigo lifted Pioneer with nine points as they settled for another runner-up finish just like their final stint in Leg 3 and brought home Php 50,000.
In the battle for third, Purefoods leaned on four straight points by Joseph Eriobu to escape TNT, 21-20.
Eriobu unleashed game-high 12 points to lead the Titans to a bronze finish and P30,000 in Leg 6.
The scores
Third place
Purefoods (21) – Eriobu 12, Javelona 5, Mendoza 3, Bonsubre 1.
TNT (20) – Flores 6, Vosotros 5, De Leon 5, Javier 4.
Finals
SMB (21) – Bono 10, Vigil 5, Manday 4, Mangahas 2.
Pioneer (17) – Abrigo 9, Rono 4, Escalmabre 4, Rivera 0.