The Titans finished second in the second season of Manila Hustle 3x3. Handout photo.MANILA -- Despite being undermanned for most of the tournament, the Titans gave their all in the Manila Hustle 3x3 Season 2.
The Titans played with just three women after Trina Guytingco suffered an injury in their first game, but they still managed a perfect 3-0 record in Pool D thanks to outstanding performances from Supavadee Kunchuan (Thailand), Lina Nakazawa (Japan), and Jhazmin Joson.
They achieved this through hard-fought victories: 21-17 against Uratex Dream, 20-13 against Dinoman Hansol of Korea, and a decisive 22-9 win over Royals Basketball of Australia.
The three-woman Titans side continued their gallant stand, overcoming Shiv Nadar School 20-18 in overtime to secure a spot in the Final Four. In the semifinals, they overpowered Tokyo Dimes to set up a showdown against the Aoi Katsura-led ZOOS Tokyo in the finals.
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However, Aoi and the crowd-favorite guard Yuuna Onodera proved too much for the Titans, resulting in a 21-13 loss in the gold medal game.
Fatigue likely caught up to the Titans in the finale, as they sorely missed Guytingco's presence. But Joson, the former Ateneo star, offered no excuses.
"I think it did make a huge factor, but again, we were just playing our hearts out, teamwork and everything. We were so tired, but again giving all our heart out," she said.
Action between the Titans and ZOOS-Tokyo in the finals. Handout photo.
Even Thai sensation Kunchuan expressed that it was enough for them to put up a gallant stand in the tournament despite the handicap. "I was like, girl, we got it, we don't regret it. That's it, and have fun in the game," she said.
And while they fell short in the finals, Joson still sees the tournament as a big victory for women's basketball and is hopeful that it will lead to more platforms for female cagers to continue their careers.
"I'm actually very surprised; last year when we had the season, the first one, it was fewer people watching, but now there's more exposure for women's basketball. We're really proud of this tournament, and everyone is coming in supporting women's basketball," she said.
Meanwhile, Kunchuan, a veteran of international tournaments, plans to play again if invited, citing the huge crowd that turned up to watch them play. "This is more competitive compared to the Asia tour, and it's more fun and [there are] more spectators," she said.
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