Zamboanga Valientes copped another championship Down Under after ruling the CLB 3x3 in Bendigo city on Saturday.
The visitors — made up of Christopher Concepcion, Eric Miraflores, Duwom Dawan and Adam Kempton — beat the Clippers 21-12 to become the first Filipino club to top the Champions League Basketball tournament.
It was a followup to Zamboanga's title conquest at 3x3 Christmas Street Hustle in Canberra last month.
“We are dedicating this victory to Zamboanga and Zamboanguenos all over the world,” Valientes coach and co-owner Junnie Navarro said.
“We proved we can excel against foreign competition in 3x3.”
Valientes advanced to the title game after a 19-17 win in the semis, where they relied on a pair of clutch baskets to win.
Trailing with 3 seconds to go in regulation, the Filipinos forced overtime at 17-17, thanks to a Dawan bucket.
Team captain and Zamboanga City native Concepcion then lifted his squad to victory with a 2-pointer in the extension.
In previous rounds, Zamboanga, backed by Smart, Chooks-to-Go, and MLV Accounting, beat Formosa 21-5 and Australian squad Barbers Boys 12-5.
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