MANILA – Meralco Bolts secured their second consecutive PBA 3×3 leg championship after taking down TNT Triple Giga, 21-13, the other day at the Ayala Malls Circuit.
Negrense Jeff Manday had another decent offensive game with seven points to back up Joseph Sedurifa, who top-scored for Meralco with nine markers.
Jan Manlangit and Alfred Batino accounted to the other five points of Meralco, which also ruled last week’s leg by defeating the Triple Giga in the finals round.
Manday, Sedurifa, and Manlangit were on fire in the championship game as they connected from the outside to quickly surge Meralco ahead at 10-3 over TNT.
Meralco maintained the wide margin the entire game as they moved closer to championship point at 20-13 before Sedurifa buried the game-winner with still two minutes left.
For ruling the leg, the franchise’s seventh since the start of the PBA 3×3 competition in 2021, the Patrick Fran-mentored Meralco pocketed the top cash prize of P100,000.
Almond Vosotros top-scored with seven points, RR de Leon added five markers, while Gryann Mendoza contributed one basket as the Triple Giga settled for a P50,000 cash prize.
The Bolts completed a three-game sweep in the group stage before they defeated NorthPort Batang Pier in a tightly-contested quarterfinals round encounter.
In the semifinals, the Bolts defeated Blackwater Razor Smooth, while the Triple Giga ousted guest team MCFASolver in the other Final Four match.
The Razor Smooth, however, salvaged a bronze medal finish and P30,000 cash prize after beating MCFASolver, 21-18, behind the 18 points of Wendell Comboy./PN
