JAYVEE Marcelino won’t stay under the shadows of his twin brother Jaycee forever.

Hours after Jaycee was named MVP of the OKbet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 4th Season Presented by Xtreme, Jayvee earned best player honors after powering Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines past Nueva Ecija, 75-65, in Game 3 and extending the National Finals at the Mayor Vitaliano Agan Coliseum in Zamboanga City.

Jayvee fired 22 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and handed 3 assists to bring the best-of-five playoffs to 2-1 after Nueva Ecija took the first two games.

Jaycee was held to 9 points but proved his all-around value again with 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals.

Ralph Tansingco also provided scoring support with 15, all from triples, while Chris Dumapig contributed 10 points and 9 rebounds for Zamboanga coach Vic Ycasiano.

Nueva Ecija, which won Game 1, 81-75, and Game 2, 75-74, got 15 points and 8 rebounds from Michael Mabulac and 14points and 5 rebounds from John Bryon Villarias. Game 1 hero Hesed Gabo was held scoreless as no other Rice Vanguard drilled in double figures for Coach Jerson Cabiltes.

Zamboanga, starring Jayvee and Tansingco took a 38-28 lead at halftime and led by as far as 48-32 before Nueva Ecija struck back with a 9-point cluster.

Jaycee was awarded the MVP trophy by Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes before the game apart from a Suzuki Avenis courtesy of Suzuki Mindanao Regional Sales Manager Joel Martin.

. The 5-foot-9 guard out of the Lyceum Pirates posted averages of 17 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.65 steals through Game 2.

Game 4 will be held at the same venue with Zamboanga seeking to equalize and Nueva Ecija aiming to seal the series.

Meanwhile, Jaycee Marcelino sustained his brilliance in Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines’ journey to the National Finals to earn MVP honors.

The mercurial guard out of the Lyceum University Pirates spearheaded Zamboanga to an 18-3 record in the elimination round and eventually the South division crown at the expense of Batangas City Embassy Chill.

Seeing action for 26 minutes each outing, the 5-foot-9 Marcelino posted well-rounded averages of 17 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.6 steals thus far.

MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes awarded Marcelino with the MVP trophy plus a Suzuki Avenis, courtesy of Suzuki Mindanao Regional Sales Manager Joel Martin, before Game 3 of the Nueva Ecija title series started.