THE Zamboanga Valientés get a shot at redemption when they battle the Letran Knights for all the marbles in the 3rd Gov. Ann Hofer Invitational basketball tournament.
The Valientes made it to the finals after eking out a thrilling 87-86 win over the Basilan Starhorse on Thursday to finish the single-round elimination as the top seed with a 3-1 (win-loss) record.
READ Vic Manuel, Kyt Jimenez reunite with Valientes for Zamboanga meet
Meanwhile, the Knights finished in a three-way logjam at second place with Starhorse Basilan and College of St. Benilde on 2-2 marks.
But the NCAA powerhouse advanced to the winner-take-all finals owing to a better quotient.
The champion team in the tournament will get P700,000, while runner up receives P400,000.
Now the Valientes get a shot at payback against the Knights, who beat the home team in their previous encounter, 65-62.
Zamboanga appeared ready to cruise past Letran when it led 62-56 with three minutes remaining in the game at the Cultural and Sports Center in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
But Deo Cuajao, Aaron Buensalida, and Mark Omega came to life for the Knights in the homestretch, sparking a 9-0 run to pull off the stunning win.
Meanwhile, Starhorse Basilan and College of St. Benilde face off in the battle for third place.
La Salle, last year's champion, finished its campaign with a 1-3 record.
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