PBA 3×3 Season 3 Second Meeting

IT’S just fitting for the squad responsible for dethroning the three-peat champs and toppling two other heavyweights to reign supreme in Leg 4 of the PBA 3×3 Season 3 Second Conference.

MCFASolver, a gritty guest team from Lubao, Pampanga, secured its breakthrough triumph with a 21-20 finals thriller over perennial contender Meralco in a memorable Tuesday at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay.Yutien Andrada sank two free throws off a foul by Joseph Sedurifa to seal the deal for the Tech Centrale, who survived a near-meltdown that saw them trailing at 19-20 after holding a 17-12 cushion.

“Nung tine-take ko yung free throws, talagang lakasan na lang ng loob. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, no pressure, inisip ko lang na malakas ang loob ko,” said Andrada.Ninth-seeded MCFASolver cleared the way to its maiden leg win worth P100,000 by claiming the scalp of the Top 3 teams of the league.Prior to their nail-biting disposal of the No. 3 Bolts, the Tech Centrale shut the door on No. 2 Cavite in the quarterfinals, 12-10, then dethroned four-peat-seeking No. 1 TNT in the semifinals, 20-18.

While Andrada was the closer against Meralco, it was Louie Vigil who carried the offensive brunt for the newly-minted leg winners.

Vigil rifled in a 12-point sizzler highlighted by a 4-of-6 two-point clip, easing the load on big Brandon Ramirez, who finished with six. The hulking Ramirez was MCFASolver’s main guy with 12 markers in their Last-8 ousting of the Triple Giga.

TH Tumalip scored one point in the finale.

Sedurifa and Joseph Manday shot eight apiece for Meralco, whose furious uprising got them on the hill first on Rey Caduyac’s basket after trailing all game.

The Bolts settled for runner-up honors, their best of the conference, and netted P50,000 purse.

Meanwhile, Pioneer Elastoseal denied the Triple Giga a consolation podium finish. The Katibays turned back the Legs 1, 2 and 3-winning TNT in the battle for Leg 4’s bronze, 21-14, to earn P30,000.