ANTIPOLO – Converge leaned on its stars to complete the comeback and disappoint Magnolia, 93-91, to get back on track in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday night at the Ynares Center here.
Alec Stockton and Justin Arana came through with the biggest plays down the stretch to lift the FiberXers after being down by as many as 20 during the third — and to find redemption after losing to Hong Kong Eastern the last time out.
Stockton showed nerves of steel by pulling up for the game-tying triple to make it a 91-all count with 43.7 seconds remaining, and then found his big man open underneath for the go-ahead basket with only 5.8 ticks left to play.
A miss by Jerrick Ahanmisi as time expired enabled Converge to seal the triumph — their second in three outings thus far in the conference.
“It’s a good win for a young franchise like us, for a young team like us. Because this is what makes ballers,” said interim head coach Franco Atienza.
“This is what makes players, a grind-out win like this — toe-to-toe, chess match, running the system on both ends of the floor, and believing in the system even if you’re facing a 20-point deficit,” added Atienza.
Arana top-scored for the FiberXers with 24 points and seven rebounds, while Stockton finished with an 18-7-10 stat line as the franchise’s top guns delivered on a night Cheick Diallo got checked by the Hotshots’ defense.
Diallo only had 10 points on 15 attempts and 16 rebounds, although he was crucial as well in crunch time for chopping the deficit down to just three points, 91-88, after a three-point play completion with 1:16 remaining.
“I think for us, regardless of what we go through, we just wanna give back to our bosses,” Stockton said. “Because whether we win or lose, they don’t give up on us, so we just want to give back to them for their generosity to us.”
Kevin Racal had 10 points off the bench while Jordan Heading and Bryan Santos provided key contributions as well with eight markers apiece.
Converge will head into a lengthy break as it won’t play until December 12, where it faces NorthPort at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Ricardo Ratliffe, meanwhile, had 25 points and 19 rebounds to lead Magnolia in the collapse, which spoiled its bid of starting the conference at 2-0.
Wasted by the defeat was the 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting of Jerom Lastimosa as the rookie upped his performance after a nine-point debut.
Ian Sangalang and Ahanmisi had 12 each, while Paul Lee and Zav Lucero added 10 apiece for a Hotshots side that missed Calvin Abueva, who was advised by the doctors to rest after that jarring collision against Blackwater.
The Batang Pier (2-0) will also be up next for Coach Chito Victolero and Co. this Wednesday, December 4, 5 p.m. at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The Scores:
Converge 93 – Arana 24, Stockton 18, Racal 10, Diallo 10, Heading 8, Santos 8, Andrade 5, Winston 5, Nieto 3, Delos Santos 2.
Magnolia 91 – Ratliffe 25, Lastimosa 14, Sangalang 12, Ahanmisi 12, Lee 10, Lucero 10, Barroca 6, Laput 2, Dela Rosa 0, Dionisio 0.
Quarterscores: 22-26, 38-53, 67-75, 93-91.
