ANTIPOLO – Converge used lessons from a tough defeat to San Miguel Beer to edge past a scrappy Blackwater side, 99-94, on Saturday, November 9, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Alec Stockton led the FiberXers with 28 points and delivered crucial plays in the dying seconds, helping his team recover from a 90-96 loss last Sunday. The win improves Converge’s record to 4-2 overall.

Coach Delta Pineda said the team learned valuable lessons from facing the defending champions.

“‘Yung loss sa San Miguel talagang tanggap naman namin iyon. That’s a champion team, beterano pa lahat. Sa amin mga bata, kulang pa sa experience. Tanggap namin ‘yung talo na iyon,” Pineda said.

“Doon kami matututo, e. Doon matututo team, doon matututo mga bata sa pagkakamali namin, ‘yung mga lapses namin during that game na nakapag-adjust ngayon,” he added.

Execution under pressure seals the win

Converge stayed composed despite Blackwater’s relentless pressure. Stockton was the glue that held the team together, hitting four straight free throws in the final seconds. His last two came after forcing Christian David into a turnover that gave Converge a 98-94 lead with just 5.3 seconds left.

David himself sealed Blackwater’s fifth straight loss when his inbound pass was picked off by Juan Gomez de Liano, whose free throw split pegged the final score at 99-94.

Gomez de Liano also contributed 14 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Justine Baltazar added 11 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists, while Justin Arana finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Blackwater fights but falls short

Sedrick Barefield led Blackwater with 33 points and five assists. Christian David bounced back from recent shooting struggles, finishing with 18 points and seven rebounds. Dalph Panopio contributed 11 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, helping the Bossing recover from a third-quarter deficit to make the game close.

Blackwater came within two points at 94-96 after David’s free throw split and had a chance to tie when Bradwyn Guinto forced a turnover on Arana. However, missed shots by Barefield and Gomez de Liano, combined with Stockton’s defensive play, secured the win for Converge.