The Chinese Basketball Association's Shanghai Sharks claimed the 2016 Merlion Cup crown after edging the Philippines' Mighty Sports 78-77 on Sunday at the OCBC Arena in Singapore.

American basketball reinforcement Jimmer Fredette led the Chinese team by scoring 41 points including the final three free throws with no more time remaining in the championship battle to snatch the game away from the Philippine club, according to The Strait Times.

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Mighty Sports were leading 77-75 before Fredette was fouled while attempting to make a shot from the three-point area. The Sharks' import was awarded three free shots from the foul line which the American completed and gave a one-point-lead to the Yao Ming-owned basketball side.

The loss came as a heartbreaker for the Mighty, which led by as many as 14 points, 69-55 in the early minutes of the final quarter, according to Sports Interactive Network.

Fredette was the 2011 NBA Draft 10^th overall pick. He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks but was subsequently traded to the Sacramento Kings.

He played college basketball for the Brigham Young University Cougars from 2007 to 2011 where he was selected to be the National College Player of the Year in his final season with the varsity team. Fredette also ruled the NCAA Division I as the scoring leader in the year 2011 and won the Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year award in the same season.

TagsNBA, chinese basketball association, Shanghai Sharks, mighty sports, Jimmer Fredette, merlion cup