MERALCO not even at full strength still proved too much for Converge to handle.
The Bolts got ample contributions up and down its bench to fashion a runaway 116-88 win over the hard-luck FiberXers Wednesday in the PBA Governors' Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Allen Durham and Chris Banchero snapped Meralco out of a sluggish start before Anjo Caram and Alvin Pasaol turned in exceptional third quarter performances that enabled the team to take full control of the game.
"We didn't start out too well... but as the game progressed it seems like we had more of a sense of urgency on offense and defense," said winning coach Luigi Trillo of his team that played minus Cliff Hodge, Raymond Almazan, Allein Maliksi and Aaron Black and trailed by as much as 8-23.
Once Banchero and Durham really got going and the others chipping in, however, the Bolts managed to uncork one surge after another that netted them as much as a 114-84 lead and into their third straight win that gave them a 4-1 card in Group A.
Sponsored content: "I thought we played better defense in the second quarter and then we started the third quarter big. I think what's nice is we have guys... ready to play when guys go down," said Trillo.
"The other guys who don't really get as many minutes, they were huge today in their contributions for us."
Indeed, Durham wound up with 27 points, 14 rebounds and six assists while Banchero threw in 24 points, five rebounds and as many assists with 12 of his markers coming in the second period.
Eerily similar to his last performance when he scored 10 points in the penultimate quarter, Caram scattered 11 of his 16 this time in leading a 20-15 exchange that gave Meralco the upper hand for good, 78-65.
Pasaol scored 12 points while fellow reliever Jolo Mendoza added 10.
Sponsored content: The loss was Converge's second straight, dropping it to a 2-3 slate.
Scotty Hopson tallied 33 points, six rebounds and six assists, Alec Stockton 13 points and JL delos Santos 12, but the FiberXers had to do battle without star center Justin Arana, sidelined by a sprained right foot.
Making it worse for Converge was the no-contact right knee injury suffered by Patrick Maagdenberg early in the second period that left interim coach Franco Atienza making do with Jeo Ambohot as the lone legitimate slotman.(NC)
The Scores :
MERALCO 116 - Durham 27, Banchero 24, Caram 16, Pasaol 12, Mendoza 10, Cansino 6, Newsom 5, Quinto 5, Jose 5, Rios 3, Bates 2, pascual 1.
CONVERGE 88 - Hopson 33, Stockton 13, Delos Santos 12, AMbohot 10, Santos 8, Winston 5, Maagdenberg 4, Andrade 3, Fleming 0, Racal 0, Nieto 0, Caralipio 0, Melecio 0, Fornilos 0, Cabagnot 0.
QUARTERS: 26-32, 53-50, 86-73, 116-88
