Bolts crush Terrafirma in one-sided PBA PH Cup clash

0Shares

The Meralco Bolts left no room for doubt about their championship pedigree as they steamrolled Terrafirma Dyip, 118-80, in a wire-to-wire demolition in the PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday, April 6, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

CJ Cansino led a balanced Meralco offense with 19 points in just 19 minutes, guiding the Bolts to the biggest winning margin in franchise history. The victory came just two days after a nail-biting 91-89 escape against Converge, and this time, there was no need for late-game heroics.

The Bolts wasted no time asserting control. Bong Quinto opened the game with a four-point play and a triple, igniting the team’s fiery start. He finished with 13 points and five assists while crediting Meralco’s strong preparation.

“Talagang ready naman kami every game, especially sa practice naming,” Quinto said. “Sila coach Luigi (Trillo), coach Nenad (Vucinic), talagang pinu-push nila kami… kaya siguro lahat ng ginamit na players talagang ready maglaro.”

Bong Quinto fires up the Bolts with a four-point play to start the game. [PBA Images]

Head coach Luigi Trillo indeed utilized all 15 players on the roster, and each one scored. Rookie Kurt Reyson contributed 16 points, while Brandon Bates, Jolo Mendoza, and Alvin Pasaol chipped in 11 each.

The Bolts shot a blistering 42-of-78 from the field, including 10 three-pointers. Cansino drilled four of the team’s five four-point plays and added a triple in an efficient scoring burst that helped the Bolts pull away early.

After leading by as many as 20 in the first half, Meralco saw their advantage trimmed to 13 at halftime. But they responded with a 30-13 third-quarter blitz that put the game completely out of reach, carrying an 86-56 cushion into the final period. The lead ballooned to as much as 107-65, allowing Trillo to rest his starters ahead of their much-anticipated clash with San Miguel Beer on Wednesday for the league’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Mark Sangalang stood as a lone bright spot for Terrafirma, finishing with 23 points. Stanley Pringle added 11 but on a shaky 5-of-11 clip, while Terrence Romeo struggled with just nine points on 4-of-10 shooting. The Dyip, coming off a solid win over Phoenix last Friday, committed 19 turnovers—10 of which came in the third quarter collapse.

Meralco’s dominance sent a clear message: the Bolts are locked in and ready for the challenges ahead in their Philippine Cup title defense.