The Meralco Bolts got a bitter-sweet ending in their quarterfinals against Ulaanbaatar Broncos of Mongolia as they blew a double-digit lead in Basketball Champions League Asia last June 11 2025.
Losing Their Spark At The End
The Bolts started strong, surging ahead to an 18-6 lead and even building a 23-11 advantage in the first quarter.
However, that promising start quickly unraveled as the Broncos found their rhythm and seized control. A third-quarter collapse proved costly for Meralco, who squandered a 13-point lead and never regained momentum despite a determined late-game rally.
Courtesy of: Basketball Champions League Asia
“We started well. Then we really disappeared for a couple of quarters,” admitted head coach Nenad Vucinic in a story by Justine Bacnis from Tiebreaker Times.
“We managed to come back towards the end of the game, had a chance to win, but probably, overall, we deserved to lose that game.” He added, “It wasn’t our day today; shooting was really off for most of the players. I think the opposing team really deserves to be in the Semi-Final.”
Courtesy of: Basketball Champions League Asia
Despite the loss, import Jordon Varnado led the Bolts with a double-double performance of 23 points and 14 rebounds. Fellow reinforcement Glynn Watson Jr. also delivered, contributing 22 points along with five rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and a block. Bong Quinto chipped in 12 points, including a crucial free throw that cut the Broncos’ lead down to two, 80-78, with just over a minute remaining.
But that would be Meralco’s final score. In the final 18.8 seconds, Ulaanbaatar sealed the win from the foul line, with Saruul-erdene Enkhbaatar and Azbayar Altangerel making three of four free throws to ice the game.
The turning point of the quarterfinal came in the third period when Ulaanbaatar mounted a critical 13-0 run. Trailing 55-48, the Broncos flipped the game on its head, with Ian Miller leading the charge. Miller sparked the run with a floater and a deep three, and Barsbold Baatar Erdene added a basket to give the Mongolian squad a 61-55 advantage.
They didn’t look back from there. Miller would go on to finish with a game-high 32 points, along with three rebounds and six assists. Erdene had 13 points and four boards, providing a significant boost off the bench.
The Broncos extended their lead to as much as 11 points, 70-59, early in the final frame before Meralco made one last push. Despite closing the gap to just two points in the final minute, the Bolts couldn’t complete the comeback.
No Show for the Team Captain
Chris Newsome, the team captain of the Meralco Bolts and definitely the face of their franchise, had a night to forget, going scoreless in 28 minutes and missing all seven of his shots before fouling out late. John Egbunu was the only other Bolt in double digits with 10 points and eight boards.
Courtesy of: Basketball Champions League Asia
Still a Respectable Finish
Still, reaching the quarterfinals was a respectable showing for the Season 48 PBA Philippine Cup champions, especially after securing their lone win in the group stage over Japan’s Utsunomiya Brex, 97-86, which clinched them a place in the knockout phase. They had opened the tournament with a 101-87 loss to Shabab Al-Ahli from the United Arab Emirates.
While Meralco bowed out of the competition, the game marked a historic moment for Ulaanbaatar Xac, which became the first team from Mongolia to reach the semifinals of the continental club championship — previously known as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.
However, their campaign also ended shortly after, as they fell to Utsunomiya Brex in the semifinals on June 12.
PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Quarterfinals
As for the Bolts, they now turn their attention back to domestic play. The team will return to Manila and resume its PBA Season 49 campaign, where they aim to defend their All-Filipino crown.
Their Philippine Cup quarterfinals assignment begins in just a week, on June 18.
Luigi Trillo would also be back in the Head Coaching duties wherein his squad ended the elimination round with a record of 6 wins and 5 losses.
