CONVERGE grew as a team in its recent PBA Governors Cup quarterfinals series against San Miguel, a development the FiberXers are banking in their campaign for the rest of Season 49.
Coach Franco Atienza looked back at how the experience of playing oppositie a championship contender team like San Miguel helped the FiberXers earn their spurs in the league.
Not given a chance against a star-studded Beermen side, the FiberXers pushed June Mar Fajardo and Co. to the brink and came close to upending the proud franchise only to break down in the end for a 109-105 loss.
Nonetheless, Atienza lauded the entire team for climbing its way back from a 0-2 deficit and pulling off the best playoffs showing so far by Converge in its young franchise history.
“We showed how resilient we were, how good we can be. We feel that the ceiling is still high for us. We just have to build on this,” said the Converge mentor.
“The character and the poise are built when you play in those games. We can get through situations, but the nerves playing in a do-or-die match with an elite team? Mahirap yun.”
The FiberXers are taking a well deserved-rest before coming back and start preparing for the Commissioner’s Cup.
By midway of the conference, the team is expected to finally lay the red carpet for rookies Pao Javillonar and top overall pick Justine Baltazar, not to mention Ben Philips and Ronan Santos.
READ: Arana expects Balti’s arrival to bolster Converge’s fantastic run
“This is the first conference of our season, so we will be excited to comeback for the next conference. There are still two more ahead of us. And we haven’t even gotten our rookies. Hopefully, they’d join us next conference,” Atienza said.
The Converge coach is certainly ecstatic on the future of the franchise.
“I believe that we will be a different team in the next conference. But again, nasa sa amin yon if we continue working hard and continue to do the things that we did well and to learn from particularly the last series and the conference we just had."
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