ANTIPOLO – Meralco defeated Converge, 96-88, on Sunday for its second win in the PBA on Tour at the Ynares Center.
Allein Maliksi scored 16 points after missing Meralco’s loss to Phoenix, 100-93, last week. Anjo Caram added 15 points as he continued his fine play in the preseason.
Meralco spoiled the 21-point effort of Jeron Teng for Converge, which slipped to 1-2.
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Cliff Hodge tallied 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Raymond Almazan also had a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Bolts, who led by as many as 14 points even without Chris Newsome, Aaron Black, and Chris Banchero.
Converge overcame the flat start and even led by six, 59-53, and tied the contest at 70 at the end of the third before it was outscored by Meralco, 26-18, in the fourth.
“Honestly, I was worried that we would get a beating because I saw them against Magnolia, they were tough. We have so much respect for the team even if it’s a preseason game because they will come 100 percent,” said Meralco coach Luigi Trillo.
Justin Arana contributed 12 points and 15 rebounds while Kevin Racal and Barkley Ebona had 12 apiece for Converge.
The scores:
Meralco 96 – Maliksi 16, Caram 15, Hodge 14, Quinto 11, Almazan 11, Pasaol 10, Torres 9, Jose 5, Johnson 2, Rios 2, Pascual 1.
Converge 88 – Teng 21, Ebona 12, Arana 12, Racal 12, Stockton 11, Nieto 8, Balanza 7, Ambohot 5, Guinto 0.
Quarters: 24-21; 49-44; 70-70; 96-88.
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