The South All-Stars rode on a buzzer-beater jumper by Eric Camson to nip their counterparts from the North, 82-81, on Saturday in the MPBL 2025 Season All-Star Game at the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan, Laguna.
Atoning for two airball triples earlier, Camson, of Rizal Xentromall, got the inbound with 1.5 seconds left and did not hesitate to take the fallaway off the outstretched arm of Dave Ildefonso and seal the thriller that avenged the Southerners’ back-to-back losses to the Northerners in 2023 and 2024.
Nueva Ecija’s Jaycee Marcelino gave the North back the lead, 81-80, from a 10-point deficit with a jumper, only 5.2 ticks left.
It was Quezon Huskers’ Judel Fuentes who clinched MVP honors as he bunched 12 points that pushed the South to a 77-67 spread in the fourth quarter.
Fuentes posted 18 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals for South coach Eric Gonzales, also his mentor with the Huskers.
Camson finished with 11 points and 5 rebounds, Samboy de Leon, also of Rizal, tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds; Cebu’s Jun Manzo 10 points, 2 assists and 2 rebounds; and Muntinlupa’s Marvin Hayes 9 points.
Shean Jackson of the San Juan Knights soared for perfect 50 scores in all his successful attempts to dethrone Joe Gomez de Liano of Manila Batang Quiapo as the slam dunk king.
The 6-foot-2 springy Fil-Am guard bested De Liano and Pampanga’s Sonny Estil in the finals and pocketed P20,000 plus the champion’s trophy.
