PBA: San Miguel holds on for crucial win over Meralco

MANILA, April 29 ------ The San Miguel Beermen held on to secure a crucial 103-92 win over the Meralco Bolts in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The perennial league powerhouse marked their fifth win in 10 games, with June Mar Fajardo leading the way with 19 points, 17 rebounds, and six steals. “Luckily, yung sense of urgency ng team ay hindi nawala. I know that this game is very important kasi the teams at the bottom four are very close,” said San Miguel head coach Leo Austria, as his squad looks to boost its playoff chances.

Bennie Boatwright added 16 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. The returning import also knocked down two crucial free throws to push the lead to 98-92 after Meralco had trimmed the deficit to a single possession. Don Trollano also stepped up with 16 points, 14 of which came in the second half, while CJ Perez and Mo Tautuaa chipped in 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Meralco, meanwhile, absorbed its third loss in eight games after squandering a 17-point lead built earlier in the contest. Marvin Jones paced the Bolts with a game-high 26 points, along with 13 rebounds, three assists, and three steals, but a flat start to the second half hurt their cause. Chris Newsome added 18 points but missed crucial shots down the stretch that could have helped Meralco close the gap.

The Scores:

San Miguel 103 – Fajardo 19, Boatwright 16, Trollano 16, Perez 14, Tautuaa 12, Ross 9, Cruz 7, Rosales 5, Lassiter 3, Tiongson 2.

Meralco 92 – Jones 26, Newsome 18, Cansino 12, Banchero 12, Mocon 9, Hodge 6, Quinto 4, Brinckman 4, bates 1, Black 0, Pascual 0.

Quarterscores: 24-28, 48-55, 77-73, 103-92.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com