MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel Beer powered through a late Meralco rally to clinch a 110-98 win in a special 50th anniversary game of the PBA Philippine Cup, held Wednesday at the historic Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Decked out in retro jerseys, the Beermen took fans on a nostalgia trip and secured their second straight victory in the conference, while the Meralco Bolts dropped to 2-1.
San Miguel jumped to a dominant 17-point lead in the second quarter but had to weather a fiery third-quarter comeback from the Bolts, led by Chris Newsome and Kurt Reyson, who combined for 19 points in that frame.
With the game tightening at 82-79 early in the fourth, CJ Perez sparked a key 10-2 run for San Miguel, capped by his triple and Juami Tiongson’s clutch three, stretching the lead back to double digits.
Despite a late push by Reymar Jose and Aaron Black, the Beermen sealed the deal with a 6-0 spurt, maintaining their composure down the stretch.
June Mar Fajardo, recently named among the PBA’s Greatest Players, delivered a stellar performance with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists. CJ Perez led all scorers with 29 points, while Jeron Teng chipped in 11.
San Miguel coach Leo Austria praised his team’s poise: “That third-quarter run from Meralco was scary, but thanks to the experience of guys like June Mar, we stayed in control.”
Newsome paced Meralco with 27 points and 7 assists, while Reyson, Black, and Jose added solid contributions.
Final Scores:
San Miguel 110 – Perez 29, Fajardo 28, Teng 11, Brondial 9, Lassiter 8, Tiongson 7, Rosales 7, Tautuaa 6, Trollano 5, Cahilig 0
Meralco 98 – Newsome 27, Reyson 14, Black 12, Jose 12, Hodge 10, Cansino 8, Bates 6, Almazan 5, Quinto 4, others 0
Quarter scores: 25-21, 52-38, 77-74, 110-98