Platinum Karaoke’s Juan Gomez de Liano. ABL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino team Platinum Karaoke was unstoppable on the first day of the Asean Basketball League 3×3 International Champions Cup men’s division as it swept Pool C in dominant fashion on Saturday in Bali, Indonesia.
Juan Gomez de Liano, Marcus Hammonds, Chris De Chavez and Carlos Martinez dominated their way to the quarterfinals set for Sunday.
De Liano and Co. kicked off their campaign with a 21-4 blast of Bali United of Indonesia and completed the sweep with a 21-2 annihilation of Cambodia’s Khmer Stars .
After a blistering start in Pool C, Platinum Karaoke will wait for the winner of Indonesia’s Ahmedabad 3BL and Saigon Heat, who will clash for a quarterfinals seat.
The other Filipino squad Zamboanga Valientes fell to 0-2 in Pool D, losing to Indonesia Patriots A, 21-12, and Sniperx of Thailand, 21-8.
Zamboanga, composed of Jojo Cunanan, RJ Arga, Jeff Bernardo and David Sebastian, has a chance to make it to the quarters as it battles Bali United on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Uratex Dream didn’t advance in the women’s division semifinals after losing two of its three Pool A games.
The Filipino women’s squad, composed of Kaye Pingol, Tina Deacon, Sam Harada and Eunique Chan, failed to carry their momentum from their 18-15 campaign-opening win over Team Lions as they succumbed to VN Red & Gold, 18-15, and got ousted by Louvre Indonesia, 22-14.
Uratex fell short to reach the semis as it finished third with VN Red & Gold taking on Pool B’s second place Delhi 3BL, while Louvre Indonesia battling Pool B’s top placer Elite on Sunday.