NOT even Typhoon Paeng could stop the thriving women's basketball scene with Uratex Dream ruling the Ronac 3x3 Invitational last Saturday at Ronac Living Gallery in Mandaluyong.
Kaye Pingol, the country's No. 1 ranked women's 3x3 player, put the exclamation point on her team's thrilling 22-15 victory over Uratex Tibay in the championship game as she nailed a booming deuce with 2:46 to spare.
See TNT caps season-long dominance by winning PBA 3x3 grand championship
Also part of the champion quartet were back-to-back 3x3 WNBL MVP Alyssa Villamor, Shanda Anies, and Tina Deacon. They took home the P15,000 cash prize.
Uratex Tibay had Kat Quimpo, Ford Grajales, Sam Harada, and Eunique Chan in the eight-team tournament.
Team Pwede, made up of Jhenn Angeles, Mar Prado, Bettina Penaflor and Sofia Felisarta, beat Nazareth School of National University, 18-15, in the bronze medal game to make up for the 21-15 semifinal loss to Dream.
NU was the youngest team in the tournament, with high school standouts Ashlyn Abong and Cielo Pagdulagan and Gilas Youth players BJ Villarin and Nicole Pring. They fell, 18-21, to Uratex Tibay in the semis.
Also participating in the invitational 3x3 tourney were Royal Eagles from Davao, Spartan led by Nicole Cancho, Bicygnal which had Katrina Guytingco and Cara Buendia, and No Pressure.
Gilas Pilipinas Women star Jack Animam graced the event as its guest of honor.
Also being organized is an international invitational on Feb. 4 and 5 next year at Robinsons Magnolia where teams from Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand are confirmed to mix it up with the best local 3x3 squads and the Gilas Pilipinas Women national 3x3 team.