Converge’s Alec Stockton jumps against Magnolia in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. – PBA IMAGES
Converge fought back from a big hole, overwhelming Magnolia 93-91 and getting back on track Sunday night in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
Alec Stockton and Justin Arana teamed up for the FiberXers’ courageous escape that resulted in the club improving to 2-1 (win-loss) after the new conference opened just last Wednesday.
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The crafty guard hit a big three-pointer to bring the matter to 91-91 before setting up Arana’s go-ahead layup with five ticks left, which ultimately wiped out the Hotshots’ former 20-point lead and then gave the traditional powerhouse the run tournament’s first defeat of the season.
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“We just knocked it out. We were down 15 at halftime and 20 down in the third,” said interim coach Franco Atienza. “We just used our system. For us personally it was impossible to win.”
“We needed something like that – like a playoff game. It’s a good win for a young franchise, a team like us. “That’s what makes players beat games like this,” he continued.
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Arana scored 24 points and seven rebounds while Stockton contributed 18 points. Kevin Racal played his best game in a long time with 10 points off the bench, while import player Cheick Diallo had 10 points and 16 rebounds.
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Hotshots reinforcement Ricardo Ratliffe led the way with 25 points and 19 rebounds, while rookie Jerom Lastimosa led the locals with 14 points. Ian Sangalang, Jerrick Ahanmisi, Paul Lee and Zav Lucero all finished with double-digit scores.
Magnolia looked headed to a 2-0 start early in the evening even without the injured Calvin Abueva (back spasms), but had very few answers for the FiberXers, who celebrated behind Arana in the final period.
Converge and Magnolia both play newly promoted NorthPort for their next outing in the race, where there are no height restrictions for imports and visiting team Hong Kong Eastern plays.
The results:
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
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Quarter scores: 22-26, 38-53, 67-75, 93-91.