ANTIPOLO – Juami Tiongson asserted himself in the fourth quarter to help San Miguel get past Converge, 96-90, to net their third straight win in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup, Sunday evening at the Ynares Center here.
Scoreless in the first half, the seasoned gunslinger fired all of his 14 points in the said chapter to help the Beermen seize control for good after the FiberXers threatened by knocking within just one, 76-75, with 8:32 remaining.
He was key in the 12-5 attack afterwards to widen their lead to eight, then came June Mar Fajardo. The nine-time MVP pushed the gap to 11 points, 91-80, with 4:04 to spare — a lead which the opposition struggled to overcome.
And SMB eventually went above .500 for the first time in the conference after starting out with back-to-back defeats, improving its card to 3-2.
“His shooting, mabuti lumabas kanina,” lauded head coach Leo Austria of Tiongson, who shot 4-of-8 from the floor, including a pair of triples.
Fajardo finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds as he imposed his presence despite the challenge that came from the opposing twin towers of Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar. He also had four assists and a pair of blocks.
Despite being sick, Jericho Cruz chipped in six points, two rebounds, and a steal.
CJ Perez supplied 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists for San Miguel, which carried over its fine play from Dubai. There, the squad took down Barangay Ginebra, 83-81, before a solid crowd at the Coca-Cola Arena.
“Kailangan na kailangan namin ‘yung panalong ‘to. Crucial sa’min. Mahirap ‘pag natalo kami kasi 2-2,” said Fajardo. “Goal namin makapasok sa top four.”
San Miguel will look to make it four straight when it tests LA Tenorio and Magnolia on Friday, November 7, at the Ynares Center II in Montalban.
Deschon Winston, on the other hand, had 20 points to lead Converge, which saw its bid to win three consecutive games foiled and fell to 3-2.
Arana had 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Baltazar added 14 and 19. The usual suspects carried the load on a night Juan Gomez de Liano found himself held to only eight points on 10 shots — including a combined 0-for-4 from the arcs.
The FiberXers will attempt to return to their winning ways against Blackwater on Saturday, November 8, still at the Ynares Center here.
The Scores:
San Miguel 96 – Fajardo 24, Tiongson 14, Perez 13, Tautuaa 9, Teng 7, Rosales 7, Cruz 6, Rosales 6, Brondial 6, Calma 5, Lassiter 4, Miller 2, Ross 0.
Converge 90 – Winston 20, Arana 19, Baltazar 14, Concepcion 9, Gomez de Liano 8, Muyang 6, Stockton 6, Muyang 6, Garcia 4, Javillonar 4, Delos Santos 0, Santos 0, Clemente 0, Eguilos 0, Racal 0.
Quarterscores: 20-28, 47-49, 69-66, 96-90.
