MAKE way for a new champion in the fledgling halfcourt game.
Guest team MCFASolver bolstered its status as an emerging force to be reckoned with, pulling off a dramatic 21-20 escape over Meralco yesterday to bag a breakthrough title in Leg 4 of the PBA 3×3 Second Conference at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay.
The Lubao, Pampanga-based appliance, furniture and gadgets shop leaned on two pressure-packed free throws by Yutien Andrada to seal the triumph.
The veteran big man was fouled by Joseph Sedurifa in the final 33 ticks, with the Tech Centrale trailing by a point, but the Bolts already in penalty.
The 6-foot-8 Andrada calmly canned the game-winning foul shots that finally led the team to the top of the podium.
The victory was worth P100,000 for the quartet of coach Anton Altamirano, who needed to go through the best by hurdling three-leg defending champion TNT 20-18 in the semifinals to reach the Big Dance.
“Para sa akin walang pressure. Game winner, lakasan ng loob,” Andrada said of his game-winning freebies.
Louie Vigil showed the way for the Tech Centrale with 12 points and set the tone for a 17-12 edge with 2:54 to go.
Behind Joseph Sedurifa, the Bolts battled back behind an 8-2 run to take the lead 20-19 in the final 40 seconds.
MCFASolver, however, won’t be denied as Andrada rose to the challenge and delivered his only points for the game.
Big man Brandon Ramirez had six markers and Terrence Tumalip added a point for MCFASolver, whose other team finished runner-up in the VPrime 3×3 International Cup in Ho Chi Minh City over the weekend.
Sedurifa and Jeff Manday each had eight points for Meralco, which took home the runner up purse worth P50,000.
The Bolts edged Pioneer Elastoseal in an equally close semifinals tiff 15-14.
