Terrafirma finally cashed in on months of near-misses, ripping away NLEX’s unbeaten record in a 114-109 thriller Friday, August 7, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. The Dyip erased a late four-point deficit with a game-sealing 9-0 run in the final two minutes of the PBA Governors’ Cup clash. It was the payoff Terrafirma had been chasing all conference long.

Maverick Ahanmisi, Geo Chiu, and Brent Paraiso authored the decisive stretch, turning a 105-109 hole into a signature win that pulled the Dyip into a tie for fourth in Group A. It marked just their third victory in seven games, but coach Ronald Tubid made clear it was no fluke.

Dyip Flip the Script After Months of Heartbreak

“Siguro this game s’werte kami kasi we really, really want it,” Tubid said, pointing to a season defined by narrow defeats — including a 100-101 heartbreaker to this same NLEX squad back on July 12.

Tubid explained his team had struggled to close out tight games in recent outings but walked into Friday’s matchup with a clear directive. “Last few games medyo bitin ‘yung energy saka endgame, du’n bumibigay. So, this game pre-game pa lang sinabihan na namin na makaka-matchup kami sa NLEX although they are 6 and 0,” he said. “Pero matchup-wise makaka-matchup kami so all we need to do is compete every possession, so ayun.”

NLEX’s Perfect Run Unravels in Crunch Time

NLEX looked in complete control for most of the night, building a lead as large as 69-62 in the third quarter and still holding a 109-105 edge off a JB Bahio baseline jumper with 3:11 remaining. But the Road Warriors’ offense stalled at the worst possible moment, and Ahanmisi made them pay.

The veteran guard found Chiu for a lefty layup, then set him up again for the equalizer after stripping Schonny Winston. Paraiso took over from there, scoring on a layup before converting a pair of free throws off his own offensive rebound to push Terrafirma ahead, 113-109. Ahanmisi sealed it at the line with 2.9 seconds left.

Justin Strings paced all scorers with 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Juami Tiongson chipped in 20 and Paraiso finished with 18. Ahanmisi rounded out a near double-double effort with 16 points and 10 assists, and Chiu grabbed 12 boards despite an eight-point night.

Robert Bolick and Bahio each dropped 20 for NLEX, with Bahio adding a career-high 16 rebounds. DeQuan Jones scored 19 but managed just four in the second half, Winston added 16, and LJay Gonzales provided a 15-point spark off the bench.