GAB Banal steered a three-man Isabela City Chooks to the main draw of the 2019 Fiba 3x3 World Tour Hongxiang Holdings Haining Challenger, beating its Mongolian foes in the qualifying round on Saturday at Zhejiang, China.
Without Franky Johnson, who was unable to make the trip after failing to secure his Chinese visa, Banal came up big for the Isabela team in a 18-15 win over Taikhar.
The MPBL MVP scored five of his nine points in a 7-0 spurt that gave Isabela a 14-7 lead with 3:44 to play.
"Basta para sa bayan, laban lang," said the sweet-shooting Banal, who last played 3x3 with the Bacoor Strikers in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 President's Cup.
It was a tough trip for Banal, who came from an MPBL game late Thursday evening and left Manila on Friday, arriving in Zhejiang three hours before the game.
The victory, though, made the trip worth it as Isabela City Chooks followed up its 21-12 win over Sukhbaatar earlier in the day.
Roosevelt Adams and American import Marcus Hammonds both uncorked eight points each in the win.
The qualifying round sweep propels Isabela City Chooks to Pool C, where awaiting them will be Russian crews Gagarin at 3:20 p.m. and Moscow Inanomo at 5:05 p.m.
The scores:
First Game
Isabela City 21 -- Adams 8, Hammonds 8, Banal 5.
Sukhbaatar 12 - Myagmarsuren 4, Chuluunbaatar 4, Gantsolmon 3, Batsaikhan 1.
Second Game
Isabela City 18 - Banal 9, Hammonds 6, Adams 3.
Taikhar 15 - Onolbaatar 7, Tsogt 5, Avarzed 3, Battuvshin 0.
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