Converge survived a furious late-game rally from Terrafirma to claim a tight 105-103 win on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, protecting its flawless record in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup.
The FiberXers seemed poised for a comfortable finish after building a 103-93 cushion midway through the final period. The Dyip refused to go down quietly, however, responding with a quick 10-2 surge capped off by a Juami Tiongson long-range bomb that pulled them within a single possession, 105-103, with over a minute remaining.
Both squads came up empty on their ensuing possessions, giving Terrafirma one last chance to steal the game. At the buzzer, Maverick Ahanmisi launched a potential game-winning four-pointer, but his shot missed the mark, allowing Converge to hold on for its second straight victory of the conference.
Justin Arana anchored the FiberXers with a dominant double-double performance, dropping 31 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. The powerhouse big man was highly efficient, hitting 14 of his 19 attempts from the floor in 34 minutes of action.
Juan Gomez de Liano chipped in 19 points to the winning effort, while Justine Baltazar added a double-double of his own with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
The victory was especially impressive for Converge as it overcame a rare off-night from import Jalen Hudson, who struggled heavily with a 1-of-14 shooting performance to finish with just two points.
Terrafirma was carried by import Justin Strings, who poured in a massive 40-point, 11-rebound double-double in the defeat. Tiongson provided 17 points for the Dyip, whose record leveled at 1-1.
With the narrow escape, the FiberXers climbed to a 2-0 standing in the tournament, while Terrafirma suffered its first loss of the season-ending conference.