Calvin Abueva proved unstoppable when it mattered most, anchoring Titan Ultra’s dramatic 111-108 escape over Terrafirma on Saturday, December 6, in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Abueva broke a 106-106 tie with a soft floater off a precision feed from Fran Yu before racing back to swat away Jerrick Ahanmisi’s attempt on the other end. He then secured the loose ball and fired an outlet pass that led to a Joshua Munzon finish, giving Titan a 109-106 cushion.

Munzon later sealed the result from the free-throw line with 3.7 seconds left, but Titan could only exhale once Ahanmisi misfired on a wide-open three that would have forced overtime. The victory kept the Giant Risers afloat at 3-6 and firmly in the hunt for a quarterfinal berth with games left against Phoenix and Barangay Ginebra.

Head coach Johnedel Cardel said the team knew the gravity of the moment, especially with him facing the squad he mentored for years. He credited his players for matching Terrafirma’s intensity in a game where Titan trailed early by 15 points.

Abueva leads furious Titan fightback

Munzon finished with 21 points, but Abueva commanded the spotlight with 20 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals—numbers that validated the motivational talk he delivered to Titan’s young core before tipoff.

The 37-year-old said he simply refused to allow the team to fade away, pushing himself to bring veteran steadiness in the crucial stretch. Yu also played big with 15 points and 11 assists, while Von Pessumal and Renato Ular added 11 each to help fuel the massive turnaround from an 86-98 deficit entering the final 8:27.

Terrafirma absorbs sixth straight defeat

Terrafirma fell to 1-7 after another collapse, despite balanced scoring across six players. Ahanmisi tallied 20 points while Mark Nonoy, returning from a hamstring injury, added 18. Aljon Mariano chipped in 15 points and 10 boards, but the Dyip faltered when Titan launched a decisive 15-4 blast sparked by Abueva’s and-one play.

The loss left Terrafirma on the brink of formal elimination, unable to keep pace when Titan surged late behind its veteran sparkplug.