After getting pummeled in their first meeting, Converge gets back at NorthPort, but not after surviving a late scare
MANILA, Philippines – Converge made sure its early double-digit cushion did not go all for naught.
Despite a third-quarter hiccup, the Converge FiberXers picked up the slack down the stretch to take down the NorthPort Batang Pier, 107-99, in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup on Wednesday, September 11, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
After leading by as many as 16 points early in the game, the FiberXers saw their lead crumble in the third period as NorthPort staged a 14-2 run punctuated by a Will Navarro layup off import Venky Jois’ assist.
The Batang Pier even rode an eight-point lead with five minutes left, but Converge mustered an 18-3 counter in the fourth quarter to regain control and snap their three-game losing skid.
“The third quarter was our loophole in this game… We just wanted to slow the game down somehow, but you cannot put a really good team at bay for so long,” FiberXers’ head coach Franco Atienza said.
NorthPort made 36 of their 57 free throws throughout the game, the ninth most attempts in PBA history and the most since the Meralco Bolts shot 35-of-58 from the charity stripe in the 2014 Commissioners’ Cup, according to PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III.
In contrast, Converge, which committed 37 fouls, went 18-of-25 from the charity stripe.
“We know NorthPort is going to speed the game up. Of course, if you’re running, we could not defend well,” Atienza said of NorthPort’s notable free-throw advantage.
“Maybe, that’s the price that we pay. It may be an ugly win but we’ll take it,” he added.
Alec Stockton put up 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, while Schonny Winston tallied 17 points and 9 rebounds on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting for Converge.
Bryan Santos also added 15 points off five three-pointers as import Scott Hopson struggled to find his rhythm as he shot 3-of-14 from the field, finishing just 12 markers, along with 14 rebounds and 6 assists.
Santos drained a triple to cut the lead down to one with 1:55 remaining, before Stockton completed a three-point play to ultimately regain the lead for Converge, 101-99.
Winston and Stockton then extended the lead to six, pouncing on crucial turnovers by NorthPort’s Arvin Tolentino to seal the win.
Jois led NorthPort with 24 points, and 14 rebounds, while Tolentino — who posted a career-best 51 points in their rout of Converge, 135-109, last month — recorded 21 markers and 10 boards in a losing effort.
Both squads wound up tied at 3-4 in Group A standings with three games left in the elimination round.
The Scores
Converge 107 – Stockton 21, Winston 17, Santos 15, Hopson 12, Racal 10, Delos Santos 9, Ambohot 6, Nieto 6, Cabagnot 5, Arana 4, Andrade 2, Vigan-Fleming 0, Fornilos 0, Caralipio 0, Zaldivar 0.
NorthPort 99 – Jois 24, Tolentino 21, Munzon 13, Navarro 11, Jalalon 9, Nelle 7, Cuntapay 5, Amores 4, Tratter 3, Flores 2, Yu 0, Bulanadi 0, Onwubere 0.
Quarters: 29-26, 57-43, 71-71, 107-99.
– Rappler.com
