San Miguel Beer strengthened its bid to climb back into PBA Philippine Cup contention after securing a gritty 96-90 victory over Converge on Sunday, November 2, at Ynares Center in Antipolo. The win marked the Beermen’s third straight triumph, erasing memories of their slow 0-2 start.

The defending champions rallied from a double-digit deficit, flipping an early 41-29 hole into a 69-66 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Their composure showed once Converge mounted one final push, cutting the gap to one point before San Miguel restored control.

Beermen steady in crucial moments

League cornerstone June Mar Fajardo led the charge with 24 points, including a key bucket that widened the gap in the closing minutes. San Miguel out-executed Converge in half-court sets and leaned on its championship poise, grounding the youthful FiberXers’ comeback attempts.

Coach Leo Austria emphasized the importance of contributions across the roster, noting the team’s defensive stance late in the match as a deciding factor.

Converge fades late despite quick start

Converge started fast behind Schonny Winston, Justin Arana, and Justine Baltazar, who helped build an early double-digit cushion. But the FiberXers struggled to maintain pace in the second half and slipped to 3-2, falling short in their bid to keep pace with the conference leaders.

San Miguel, now holding an even record after a rough opening week, looks firmly back in the hunt as the Philippine Cup heats up.