CONVERGE's reserves rose to the occasion and helped the team stretch its winning streak to four with a 77-71 win over Blackwater Sunday in the PBA Commissioner's Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Alec Stockton came off the bench to score a career-high 15 points and fellow reliever Abu Tratter finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds in backstopping Quincy Miller's game-highs of 22 points and 19 rebounds.
"It's just being ready whenever your number is called. It's the same for everyone else on the bench. Whoever is on the floor you've got to be ready," said Stockton, who shot 7-of-13 from the floor while also pulling down eight rebounds and sparking Converge's surge from 66-68 deficit.
It was the second straight defeat for Blackwater, dropping it to 3-5 overall.
The Bossing played a deliberate type of offense and refused to be withdrawn into the FiberXers' preferred run-and-gun type of game, but the former simply could not execute when crunch time came.
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Converge coach Aldin Ayo said his charges starting out flat was mainly due to them having not fully recovered yet from a 130-117 shocker over TNT only last Friday, but still did enough to improve to a 5-2 record that solidified their hold of third-running spot.
"I think because of the fatigue. I think our legs were heavy. I was expecting that we'd be able to recover in that one-day rest, but I think they haven't yet," offered Ayo.
"We were not able to get the pace that we usually have so we relied on our halfcourt execution and I think we defended them pretty well, especially during the stretch."
Indeed, Converge was able to make stops inside the last five minutes of the game while Stockton converted on back-to-back drives that ignited the FiberXers' 11-3 run which Miller capped with the last five of his points.
The victory came at a presumably heavy cost, however, as Justin Arana suffered what appeared to be a left hamstring injury in the final 20 seconds of the third period, ending his stint for the game in which he had eight points and nine boards.
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Also apparently struck by a gimpy hamstring was Blackwater import Cameron Krutwig, who suffered his injury late in the second period. He made his first three shots before going 3-of-14 in limited minutes the rest of the way but still garnered 16 points, 14 rebounds and four assists.
Rey Suerte added 15 points, Ato Ular 13 points and eight boards and Yousef Taha 10 and five for the Bossing. (NC)
The Scores:
Converge 77 - Miller 22, Stockton 15, Tratter 12, Arana 8, Teng 8, Melecio 3, Ilagan 6, DiGregorio 2, Ahanmisi 1, Murrell 0, Tolomia 0, Racal 0.
Blackwater 71 - Krutwig 16, Suerte 15, Ular 13, Taha 10, Melton 6, Banal 3, Ebona 3, Ayonayon 3, Go 2, Jackson 0, Sena 0, Publico 0.
Quarters: 18-19, 34-32, 59-59, 77-71
