Jordon Varnado waited more than a month to make his Meralco debut, and he made every second of that wait count. The import erupted for 31 points to lift the Bolts past Barangay Ginebra, 97-88, snapping a four-game losing skid in the PBA Governors’ Cup Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Meralco needed every bit of that scoring outburst to hold off a late Ginebra push. The win also reshuffled the Group B standings, with the Bolts leapfrogging the Gin Kings into fifth place heading into the tournament’s extended break.

Varnado’s Debut Explosion Fuels Meralco’s Much-Needed Win

Varnado had been sidelined by a calf strain since before the conference tipped off, forcing Meralco to lean on stand-in import Antonio Hester in the meantime. Once cleared to play, Varnado wasted no time asserting himself, finishing with 31 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks in a stat line that touched nearly every column.

His impact peaked in the fourth quarter, when Ginebra clawed back from a double-digit deficit to trim the lead to just three points, 81-78. Varnado answered with a personal 14-point run, punctuated by a four-point play and a clutch triple, that pushed the margin back to a safe distance and snuffed out the Gin Kings’ comeback bid.

Varnado admitted the finish was not perfect, pointing to missed free throws down the stretch as an area to clean up. Still, he said securing the win mattered more than personal statistics, especially with the long league break offering time to build on the momentum once action resumes.

Meralco coach Luigi Trillo praised his import’s ability to produce despite an obvious lack of game rhythm. Trillo noted that Varnado played through foul trouble and still took on the assignment of guarding Ginebra’s own import, calling it a sign of the competitiveness Varnado brings to the floor.

Newsome’s Steady Floor Game Complements Varnado’s Fireworks

Chris Newsome provided the steadying presence Meralco needed alongside Varnado’s scoring burst. He finished with an efficient 18 points, eight rebounds, and five assists without committing a single turnover, anchoring the offense through Ginebra’s pressure.

One of Newsome’s biggest contributions came off a Varnado assist, when he knocked down a jumper that extended the Bolts’ lead to 87-80 late in the game. That basket helped keep Ginebra at arm’s length during the period when the Gin Kings were threatening to complete their comeback.

On the other side, Riley Grigsby turned in a strong all-around performance for Ginebra, tallying 34 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists in the loss. The outing could mark his final assignment as the Gin Kings’ import, with Justin Brownlee expected to return once the tournament resumes in October.