MAGNOLIA quickly snapped back after its opening-night loss in the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup, hammering out a 105-93 victory over Converge Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Glenn Robinson III, whose missed four-point attempt proved costly in Sunday's 94-99 defeat to Meralco, led the Hotshots' spirited efforts to bounce back as he banged in a game-high 28 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
A phalanx of locals gave the slam-dunking Robinson significant scoring support - Paul Lee, Ian Sangalang and Jerrick Ahanmisi (three four-pointers) with 14 apiece and Calvin Abueva with 10.
In a starting duty, Zav Lucero dished out nine markers to go with six boards while veteran guard Marc Barroca, playing as closer, shot seven spiked by a cold-blooded triple and a steal in the last 59 seconds that restored order after Converge threatened to within five after going down by as many as 21.
After the FiberXers' 125-point eruption in their 32-point beating of Terrafirma Wednesday, the Hotshots put the clamps on the league's youngest club.
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"We wanted to limit them to below 100 points and we did a good on the defensive end," said Magnolia coach Chito Victolero, whose also charges held Converge import Scotty Hopson to 26 after his 46-point sizzler versus the Dyip and Alec Stockton to only three after his 21-point outing two nights before.
Playing catch up most of the way, the FiberXers mounted a major uprising in the fourth behind a 13-1 blast to close in at 93-98 with 1:58 left.
But the Hotshots countered with seven unanswered points behind Sangalang, Barroca and Robinson, to extinguish the threat. (OL)
The Scores:
MAGNOLIA 105 - Robinson III 28, Ahanmisi 14, Lee 14, Sangalang 14, Abueva 10, Lucero 9, Barroca 7, Laput 2, Escoto 2, Balanza 2, Dela Rosa 2, Dionisio 1, Eriobu 0.
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CONVERGE 93 - Hopson 26, Racal 17, Andrade 11, Arana 10, Santos 6, Delos Santos 5, Nieto 5, Cabagnot 4, Winston 3, Maagdenberg 3, Stockton 3, Melecio 0, Caralipio 0, Ambohot 0.
QUARTERS: 24-18, 48-41, 82-66, 105-93
