Converge secured a place in the quarterfinals of the PBA Philippine Cup after waxing hot in the second half to beat Magnolia, 114-97, on Friday at Ynares Center here.
Juan Gomez de Liano fired 27 points, Alec Stockton scored 23 while Justine Baltazar had 19 points and 17 rebounds as the FiberXers improved to 6-2 in the first game of the league’s resumption following the Fiba break.
Not only did Converge assure itself a place in the top eight, it also forged a three-way tie for the lead with Rain or Shine, its next opponent on Sunday, and NLEX.
The FiberXers, however, saw Justin Arana go down with an apparent sprained ankle while Baltazar was able to return despite cramping up in the fourth quarter.
Magnolia fell to 5-3 after squandering an eight-point lead at halftime, 40-32.
Gomez de Liano sparked the rally with two threes, at the expense of his older brother Javi in their first PBA matchup.
Zavier Lucero scored a career-high 31 points, but the Hotshots went down in defeat.
Magnolia looks to bounce back on Sunday against NLEX at Ynares Center Montalban in Rodriguez