Pola Pilipinas ruled the third leg after beating Zamboanga Valientes.
Pola Pilipinas RPG defeated Zamboanga Valientes, 83-81, to rule the third leg of The Asian Tournament via another sweep at the Pola Gymnasium in Pola, Oriental Mindoro.
Jayvee Dela Cruz led the way for Pola Pilipinas RPG with 24 points, built on four triples, along with six assists and two rebounds.
Imports Xavier Alexanders also had 17 points and 13 boards, while Henry Frank Iloka added 12 points and 11 rebounds for Pola to become the first two-leg winner in the tournament that is fast gaining popularity.
Last month, Pola won the Passi edition of the tournament also via a five-game sweep in a big turnaround after a winless campaign in the opening leg.
TAT executive director Jacque M. Ruby expressed his gratitude to the local government for the success of the tournament, especially how the players and officials of the league were welcomed.
“I am certain that Pola is mightily proud of what he has achieved right now. Winning two legs in a row is no ordinary feat. Also, I have to thank basketball fans in Pola for their energy,” said Ruby.
Former UAAP MVP Malick Diouf of University of the Philippines paced the Valientes with 24 points.
The fourth leg of the event will be held in Henan, China two weeks from now with former NBA star Dwight Howard expected to suit up for the Taiwan Mustangs.
Other teams have also reportedly beefed up their rosters following Pola’s back-to-back wins and Howard’s signing with the Mustangs.