Terrafirma Dyip import Mubashar Ali put up 50 points and 25 rebounds to lead his team to a stunning 111-100 upset of the Converge FiberXers on Saturday at the Ynares Center in Montalban. The win was Terrafirma’s second straight to open the PBA Commissioner’s Cup and puts them atop the very early leaderboard.
What Happened?
After a tight first quarter that saw Converge come out on top by just one, 25-24, the FiberXers began creating some separation with a 23-16 second frame. Terrafirma, though, would hang tough, chipping away at that eight-point lead by outscoring Converge, 30-27, in the third canto to set up a cardiac finish that saw neither team lead by more than two points.
The final frame was so tight that there were 13 lead changes and 7 ties, the last being at 100 when Mubashar Ali got free for an undergoal stab after a Dyip timeout to send the game to OT. Then, in extra time, Terrafirma turned on the jets and blanked a seemingly shell-shocked FiberXers squad, 11-0.
Who Stood Out?
Mubashar Ali was the undisputed star of stars in this game as he finished with 50 points and 25 boards to go along with 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. He also made 7 of his 11 long balls. Geo Chiu also starred in his own way, holding his own against Converge’s bigs to put up 9 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.
Converge, meanwhile, drew solid games from Kylor Kelley and Juan Gomez de Liaño. Kelley did his job, finishing with 17 points, 22 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block, but was just overshadowed by his counterpart. JGDL had 17 as well on top of 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
3 Keys to the Game
- Mubashar Ali. Put simply, Mubashar Ali was just spectacular against Converge, and he did damage both inside and out. And he delivered when it mattered most, firing half of his 50-piece in the fourth quarter and OT.
- Full-speed Dyip. Terrafirma played up-tempo the whole game and got to the open court a lot, resulting in 26 fastbreak points. That’s mostly thanks to the 13 turnovers the Dyip forced, which they converted to 16 points, most of them coming in transition.
- Interior scoring. The Dyip surprisingly outplayed the FiberXers in the paint, where the latter supposedly has an advantage with Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar. But with Ali attacking at the post and Chiu getting into the lane on the break, Terrafirma outscored Converge, 54-46, inside.
Next Up for the PBA
Sunday, March 15, 2026 | Ynares Center Montalban
Phoenix Fuel Masters vs. Titan Ultra Giant Risers (5:00 p.m.)
NLEX Road Warriors vs. Magnolia Hotshots (7:30 p.m.)
