CEBU CITY, Philippines (September 24, 2023) – Team Miami went undefeated in route to the Cebu Masters title on Sunday night in Cebu City, Philippines. The win is the first title for Team Miami on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour this season.
After charging through Pool Play with wins over Lubao MCFASolver (22-15) and Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (21-18) on Saturday, Miami strung together a trio of victories on Sunday to take the title.
In the final, Miami beat Vienna 22-19 in a resilient effort. They trailed five times, but never backed down. With four minutes remaining, Miami trailed 14-10 before going on a 7-0 run, including back-to-back 2-pointers from Canyon Barry, to take a 17-14 lead. Minutes later, Miami trailed 19-18, but Jimmer Fredette hit a pair of 2-pointers to capture the victory.
All four Americans scored in the championship win. Fredette led the way with nine points and four rebounds, while Barry contributed eight points and three boards.
Miami earned a dominating 21-13 win over Ub Huishan UE in the semifinals. After trailing 4-1 early, Miami went on a 10-3 run to grab an unsurmountable 11-7 lead with 5:00 remaining. Fredette led the team with 11 points, including five 2-pointers. Kareem Maddox led Miami on the boards with four.
Miami started the day with a 21-17 win over San Juan in the quarterfinals, leading by as many as six points during the game. The USA squad didn’t trail after the 8:00-mark. Barry led Miami with nine points and Maddox had a team-high four rebounds.
Fredette was named MVP of the Cebu Masters, finishing first in scoring (44) and key assists (10).
Team Miami will take the court again on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour in Amsterdam from Oct. 6-7.