By ADRIAN STEWART CO

The Meralco Bolts secured their second consecutive PBA 3×3 leg championship after taking down the TNT Triple Giga, 21-13, at the Ayala Malls Circuit on Tuesday afternoon, January 23.

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 for the other five points for Meralco, which also ruled last week’s leg by defeating the Triple Giga in the final 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 a 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 the NorthPort Batang Pier in a tightly-contested quarterfinals round encounter.

In the semifinals, the Bolts defeated the Blackwater Razor Smooth, while the Triple Giga ousted guest team MCFASolver in the other Final Four match.

However, the Razor Smooth salvaged a bronze medal finish and a P30,000 cash prize after beating MCFASolver, 21-18, behind the 18 points of Wendell Comboy./ASC, WDJ