IN stunning fashion, Converge recorded the very first win in post-elims play for the franchise.
The FiberXers pulled it off via a mind-boggling fourth-quarter fightback from 21 down capped by a winning buzzer-beater from Alex Stockton as Converge shocked San Miguel Beer, 114-112, Monday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
In what's easily the biggest victory for the franchise since entering the league in 2022, the FiberXers foiled the Beermen's sweep bid, and the young ball club now has a chance for an equalizer in Game Four of the best-of-five semifinals series on Friday.
It's a breakthrough for a team which had previously made it past the elimination round in only three tourneys. In each conference in the 2022-23 season, the FiberXers were eliminated in one game in the quarterfinals.
But with grit and guts in this setto, Jalen Jones and his teammates whipped up a fourth-quarter storm, pounding the badly stunned Beermen, 48-25, in the payoff period to live to fight another game.
At 2-1, the Beermen, however, have two more chances at wrapping up the series to set up a highly anticipated semifinal clash with the Barangay Ginebra Kings.
Ginebra punched the first ticket to the Last Four with a 113-106 disposal of Meralco early in the night.
The Beermen had looked headed to joining the Gin Kings in the next round when they broke away in the third, leading by as many as 27 at 83-56.
They were still way ahead, 87-66, in the fourth when they found the FiberXers lighting up a run and hitting tremendous strides to get into the fight and surge ahead, 108-107, in the homestretch.
Stockton, Bryan Santos, King Caralipio and Deschon Winston took over from what Justin Arana and Jones started as Converge delivered the fourth-quarter juggernaut, putting to naught EJ Anosike's 39-point effort.
Santos, Stockton, Caralipio and Mike Nieto had big conversions from downtown, helping fuel the mighty run that saved them what could've been a quick quarters exit.
Santos sizzled with five treys in a 15-point outing to complement Arana's 23 points, Stockton's 20 and Jones' 17. Caralipio and Winston added 11 and 10, respectively. (SB)
The Scores :
CONVERGE 114 - Arana 23, Stockton 20, Jones 17, Santos 17, Caralipio 11, Winston 10, Cabagnot 8, Nieto 7, Delos Santos 2, Ambohot 1, Andrade 0.
SAN MIGUEL 112 - Anoseike 39, Perez 18, Lassiter 14, Fajardo 12, Romeo 12, Ross 6, Rosales 6, Trollano 3, Cruz 2, Brondial 0.
QUARTERS : 20-27, 44-53, 66-87, 114-112
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