Calvin Abueva fired a career-high 41 points and came up with crucial plays down the stretch as Titan Ultra marked its PBA debut with a 100-96 victory over Meralco on Wednesday, October 8, to open their Philippine Cup campaign at the Ynares Center.

“The Beast” lived up to his moniker in the last three quarters, lifting the Giant Risers from a slow start to lead by as many as 19 points before holding off the Bolts’ late charge.

Abueva leads the way

“Kilala naman natin kung gaano kalakas ang katawan niyan, tsaka puso niya talagang ‘The Beast’ so we go for him,” said Titan coach Johnedel Cardel, who guided the team to victory just a week after taking over the franchise formerly known as NorthPort.

Joshua Munzon caught fire in the second half, finishing with 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Cade Flores chipped in 10 points off the bench. Abueva exploded for 10 points in the second quarter to cap Titan’s rally from an 0-11 deficit, then poured in 16 more in the third to spearhead a 31-18 run that gave them a 76-63 cushion.

The lead ballooned to 90-71 before CJ Cansino and Brandon Bates led a fiery Meralco comeback that trimmed the gap to three points twice, the last at 95-98. But Abueva’s hustle plays, including a key loose ball recovery that led to Munzon’s free throws, sealed the game with 4.9 seconds left.

Meralco fights back

“Lahat kami excited, eh,” said Abueva, explaining their 0-of-8 shooting start with three turnovers. “Excited kaming maglaro ng first game, and ‘yun nga naibigay naming itong laro na ito at naibubuhos namin ang depensa namin. Opensa namin ibinigay lang iyan nu’ng nakaka-stop kami.”

Cansino scored 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, while Raymond Almazan, Bong Quinto, and Bates added at least 10 each for Meralco. The Bolts will try to bounce back against Rain or Shine on Saturday, while the Giant Risers face Converge later that day in Montalban.