Fajardo flexes might, helps SMB overcome Converge to make PBA semis

Sports

Games on Wednesday (October 9)

PhilSports Arena

Game 1, Best-of-7 semifinal series

5:00 p.m. San Miguel Beer vs. Barangay Ginebra

7:30 p.m.- Rain or Shine vs. TNT

IT TOOK a monster performance from Cebuano giant June Mar Fajardo for the heavily favored San Miguel Beermen to avert a major disaster as they labored hard before finishing off the hard-fighting Converge FiberXers, 109-105, in their do-or-die showdown of the 49th PBA Governors' Cup on Sunday night, October 6, at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.

Fajardo flashed the form that netted him a league-record eight MVP awards, finishing with 40 points and 24 rebounds to help the Beermen win the best-of-five series, 3-2, and move into the semifinal round.

San Miguel will next face sister-team Barangay Ginebra in a best-of-seven semis series. The other Final Four duel pits Rain or Shine and defending champion TNT.

Fajardo went 15-of-27 from the field and 10-of-12 from the charity stripe and also converted two straight baskets in a pivotal 18-6 endgame run that finally broke the backs of the FiberXers.

Though they failed to get the job done, the FiberXers showed tremendous character in the series, battling back from a 0-2 deficit to send the series into a sudden-death duel.

Converge looked good early, ending the first quarter with a double-digit cushion, 34-22. The FiberXers still had a 57-54 lead at the bend before the Beermen asserted themselves, seizing the lead with only one quarter left, 89-87.

Converge still went on to lead by as many as seven points in the final quarter only to falter at the finish.

Jalen Jones topped Converge with 29 points and 17 rebounds, Alec Stockton added 22 points, Bryan Santos contributed 16 points, and Alex Cabagnot had 14 markers.

THE SCORES:

SAN MIGUEL (109) - Fajardo 40, Anosike 23, Perez 10, Rosales 9, Trollano 7, Lassiter 6, Cruz 6, Tautuaa 5, Romeo 3, Enciso 0.

CONVERGE (105) - Jones 29, Stockton 22, Santos 16, Cabagnot 14, Winston 8, Arana 8, Delos Santos 4, Nieto 2, Caralipio 2, Ambohot 0.

QUARTERSCORES: 22-34, 54-57, 89-87, 109-105.(CCM)