Smile360Bullies rules World Balance 3x3 tilt

MANILA, Philippines -- Parañaque-based Smile360Bullies took home the World Balance 3x3 Streetball League Season 2 championship on Saturday, besting Bren Sports, 21-19, at the TriNoma Activity Center in Quezon City.

The Smile360Bullies took home the P250,000 cash prize in the finals game that went down the wire.

The game reached a deafening crescendo, as the contest was too close to call with time winding down.

Two-pointers were then unleashed late, as Smile360Bullies, who had a twice-to-beat advantage, sank the game-winning shot with about more than a minute remaining.

Geoffrey Santos was named the tournament most valuable player. He took home P5,000 worth of World Balance gift certificates.

He was among those named in the Muthical Team, along with teammate Don Marlon Querido, Bren Sports’ John Dave Villas and Ryan Ricasio and Angelo Barabab of Sports Flooring Global Kings.

Bren finished second and took home P15,000 worth of prizes.

The championship game was a rematch of an earlier round where the two had a heated encounter.

Unsportsmanlike fouls were called, as well as technical fouls, but Smile360Bullies came up victorious to grab the much-needed twice-to-beat advantage.

In the final, though, they did not need it, as their steady stream of offense propelled the victory.

“World Balance is happy to see how good this Season 2 is and you can see it with the level of play that the teams showed from the prelims to the finals. This only excites World Balance to continue its endeavor to support Filipinos through sports,” World Balance marketing and creatives director Mary Lyn Go said.

“We promised bigger and better, and our players and teams delivered. We can’t wait to grow this event more for Season 3,” she added.