FiberXers get past Bolts to close in on quarters

MANILA, Philippines -- The Converge FiberXers moved closer to a quarterfinal berth in the PBA Governors’ Cup after averting a collapse against the Meralco Bolts, 105-97, Wednesday evening at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

Converge blew a 15-point lead, but recovered in time and held on thanks to Alec Stockton to go within a win from virtually securing a playoff berth. The team also won three straight.

Stockton finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds and five assists on an efficient 8-of-15 shooting from the field. He scored nine points in the final three minutes as he made sure their win streak rolls on.

After trailing by as much as 15 points, 58-73, in the third quarter, the Bolts stormed back and tied it up at 77 with a 19-4 run capped by a Chris Banchero triple.

A layup by Stockton in the final two seconds of the frame towed Converge ahead heading into the frame.

Meralco, then, continued their hot offense and took a five point lead, 88-83, after a pair of freebies by Chris Newsome.

Down the stretch, the two squads traded leads and deadlocks.

A pair of free throws by Bong Quinto gave the Bolts a 94-92 advantage with 3:33 remaining.

A layup by Schonny Winston and shots from the charity stripe by Stockton pushed the FiberXers back into it, 96-94.

After three free throws by CJ Cansino brought Meralco ahead, 97-96, Stockton connected on a triple and then a deuce to give them an insurmountable lead, 101-97.

Cansino, on the other end, missed on a 4-point shot. A few seconds after, Converge was called for a technical foul, but Cansino once again missed, this time in the free throw.

Two free throws by Stockton all but iced the game, while a late dunk by new import Jalen Jones put the cherry on top of the FiberXers’ cake.

“For me, I really want to just give my best for my team to win, qualify for the playoffs and that’s something that we missed last conference. We really wanted it bad, this game,” Stockton told reporters after the win.

Jones had a big debut for Converge, finishing with 32 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two assists. Justin Arana provided ample support from inside with 12 markers, six boards and two dimes.

Allen Durham paced the Bolts with 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Cansino added 21 markers, while Newsome had 14 points, 11 rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

With Meralco holding a 58-57 lead in the third after a layup by Quinto, the FiberXers strung together a 16-0 blitz to take the commanding 73-58 advantage.

The Bolts, though, erased the deficit and slowly clawed back with a 26-7 run to go up by four, 84-80, with 8:22 remaining in the game.

Converge is now holding a 5-4 win-loss record, good for solo third. Meralco dropped to 6-3.