The San Miguel Beermen took a 1-0 lead in their 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinal series, beating the Converge FiberXers 102-95 on September 26 at Ninoy Aquino Stadium. They controlled most of the game but had to hold off a late rally to secure the win.
San Miguel built a strong lead early, stretching it to 16 points at 97-81 late in the fourth quarter. Converge answered with a 14-2 run, closing the gap to 99-95 with under a minute left. The Beermen held on, closing out the win at the free-throw line.
June Mar Fajardo anchored the paint on both ends, finishing with 25 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals. It was another strong outing for the eight-time league MVP.
Kris Rosales also scored 11 points in the third quarter alone. Two three-pointers and a mid-range jumper fueled a 12-4 run that pushed the lead from 58-54 to 70-58 with under eight minutes left.
New import EJ Anosike made his PBA debut count, replacing the injured Jordan Adams. He led all scorers with 28 points, adding 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Anosike struggled from the field but went 14-of-16 from the free-throw line, and CJ Perez also came up big at the line down the stretch to help seal the win.
San Miguel head coach Jorge Gallent credited the team’s composure after the game. “Our composure really got out but in the end, it came back and we got the victory today,” he said.
Jalen Jones led Converge with a 22-point, 12-rebound double-double, adding 4 assists and 2 steals. Justin Arana added 20 points and Schonny Winston scored 17 as the FiberXers pushed hard in the final minutes, but they couldn’t complete the comeback.
San Miguel takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series and needs two more wins to reach the semifinals.
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