The Converge FiberXers welcomed reinforcements—John Lloyd Clemente, Larry Muyang, and Archie Concepcion—on Wednesday, and they certainly played a role in the FiberXers routing the Terrafirma Dyip, 125-108. But the stars of the show were the ever-reliable Alec Stockton and rookie Juan Gomez de Liaño, who led Converge’s bounce back after a heartbreaking loss to the TNT Tropang 5G in the continuation of the PBA Philippine Cup.
What Happened?
Converge actually started slow, allowing the hot-shooting Dyip to take the first quarter, 30-29. The FiberXers started to pick things up in the second, outscoring Terrafirma 30-21 to take a 59-51 advantage into intermission. They then broke the game wide open with a 37-25 third-quarter effort that saw almost every FiberXer contribute something positive. Terrafirma rallied somewhat in the fourth period and managed to cut the Converge lead to 111-100, but the FiberXers’ 24-point cushion proved insurmountable.
Who Stood Out?
Clemente and Muyang came off the Converge bench to score 10 apiece, but the heroes of this game were Stockton and Gomez de Liaño. Stockton top-scored for Converge with 22 markers on top of 5 assists and 4 steals, while Gomez de Liaño had a triple-double of 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists.
Over at Terrafirma, Jerrick Ahanmisi had his fourth straight solid game as he fired 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting to go along with 4 assists and 2 steals. JM Bravo was solid, too, adding 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
3 Keys to the Game
- Interior scoring. Converge shot 61.9% from two-point territory largely because they feasted in the paint, where the FiberXers scored 72 points compared to Terrafirma’s 42. Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar got points inside, but so did everyone else as Converge tested Terrafirma’s non-existent interior defense time and again.
- Balanced scoring. Stockton and Gomez de Liaño did heavy damage, but so did the rest of the FiberXers. In total, eight Converge players scored in double digits, led by the 22 and 17 of the two talented guards. Mike Garcia, Schonny Winston, Arana, and Baltazar added 15, 14, 13, and 12, respectively, while Clemente and Muyang had 10 each.
- That rookie. Juan Gomez de Liaño might be a rookie, but he’s playing like a superstar already. Against Terrafirma, he was in control all throughout with his superb playmaking. Put simply, the Dyip didn’t have an answer for de Liaño.
Next Up for the PBA
The PBA will take the action to the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Friday with a twin bill featuring the Blackwater Bossing taking on the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the first game and the TNT Tropang 5G facing off with the Titan Ultra Giant Risers.
Blackwater vs. Rain or Shine | TNT vs. Titan Ultra
