MANILA – Maverick Ahanmisi caught fire in the fourth quarter as Converge FiberXers cruised to a 106-99 win over Meralco Bolts in the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup over the weekend at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
After seeing their once 20-point lead turned to a 90-93 deficit midway in the fourth quarter, Ahanmisi unloaded back-to-back triples to surge the FiberXers ahead, 96-95.
The Bolts managed to regain the lead back at 97-96 before the FiberXers turned things around with a three-point play by Quincy Miller and a triple by Ahanmisi for a 102-97 lead with under a minute left.
Ahanmisi finished the game with 21 points, with 12 coming in the fourth quarter, as the FiberXers halted its two-game losing skid for a 2-2 win-loss slate.
Miller led the FiberXers with double-double 29 points and 15 rebounds, while Allyn Bulanadi, Jeron Teng and RK Ilagan ended up with 12, 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Johnny O’Bryant tallied double-double 27 points and 15 rebounds, while Aaron Black added 18 markers as the Bolts slumped to 1-3 win-loss slate in the standings.
In the second game, TNT Tropang Giga (2-1) rode on a strong third quarter rampage to dominate the import-less Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (2-3), 110-91.
Holding to a 55-50 halftime lead, the Tropang Giga started the third quarter strong behind inside attacks by Roger Pogoy, Jayson Castro and Cameron Oliver and outside hits by Calvin Oftana for an 87-64 lead.
The Tropang Giga continued to pounce on an erratic and dispirited Elasto Painters with Frederick Tungcab and Rodolfo Alejandro drilling consecutive baskets as the lead reached its largest at 27.
Oliver top-scored with 21 points, Pogoy and Oftana added 15 markers apiece, while Tungcab and Castro had 14 and 10 markers, respectively, for the Tropang Giga.
BOX SCORE:
CONVERGE – Miller 29, Ahanmisi 21, Bulanadi 12, Teng 11, Ilagan 10, Tratter 9, Melecio 8, Stockton 4, Racal 2, Ambohot 0.
MERALCO – O’Bryant 27, Black 18, Maliksi 14, Caram 14, Quinto 12, Hodge 10, Pasaol 4, Johnson 0, Almazan 0, Jose 0, Pascual 0.
Quarterscores: 35-26, 68-48, 87-82, 106-99./PN
