Terrafirma, determined to give ailing star Roider Cabrera something to smile about, won its first three matches in Pool A to clinch a quarterfinals berth in the PBA 3x3 third leg Saturday, Nov. 27 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Terrence Tumalip, Dhon Reverente, Matt Salem and Jebb Bulawan started the day by giving the second leg champion Meralco Bolts a rough start with a 22-18 win before taking down the Pioneer Pro Tibay, 17-14, and NorthPort Batang Pier, 21-11.
The Dyip moved a win shy of completing a four-game sweep of their preliminary round assignment which they can pull off the following day against the Zamboanga Valientes.
Tumalip, Reverente, Salem and Bulawan are hoping to make a splash after quarterfinal appearances in the first two legs while also playing without Cabrera, who collapsed after playing two games last Wednesday.
Meralco bounced back from dropping its opening assignment to Terrafirma with a 21-8 rout of the Zamboanga Valientes.
Tonino Gonzaga, Alfred Batino, Joseph Sedurifa and Dexter Maiquez were also slated to face Pioneer as part of a busy 17-game bill.
Almond Vosotros, Jeremiah Gray and Samboy de Leon of first leg winner TNT bucked the absence of Lervin Flores to defeat Cavitex, 20-17, in Pool C.
Flores was suspended two games for committing an unsportsmanlike foul during TNT’s semis loss to Meralco in leg two.
Sista’s Prince Rivero, RJ Argamino, Leo de Vera and Kenneth Mocon stunned second leg runner-up Platinum Karaoke, 22-19, to win its first match in Pool B.
Platinum’s Chris de Chavez, Karl Dehesa, JR Alabanza and debuting Ryan Monteclaro were denied a 2-0 start after a 22-15 win over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in its first match.
Pioneer’s Carlo Escalambre, Carlo de Chavez, Christian Rivera and Gian Abrigo defeated NorthPort, 21-17, and Zamboanga, 20-12, to go 2-1 in Pool A.