Petro Gazz soar past Creamline to claim All-Filipino crown
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San Miguel holds off Meralco in retro clash for PBA 50th Year
The San Miguel Beermen fended off a spirited comeback from the Meralco Bolts, 110-98, in a throwback-filled matchup as the PBA celebrated its 50th Anniversary on Wednesday, April 9, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Sporting retro uniforms in celebration of the league’s milestone, the Beermen secured their second straight-win in the conference, while the Bolts dropped to 2-1.
June Mar Fajardo delivered another stellar performance with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, while CJ Perez top scored with 29 markers, five boards, four dimes, and two steals.
(FROM L-R) Chris Newsome and June Mar Fajardo
San Miguel took control early, building a 17-point cushion, 50-33, with just over two minutes left in the second quarter, and went into halftime leading 52-38.
But Meralco came alive in the third period, trimming the deficit to just three, 77-74, by the end of the quarter. Chris Newsome and Kurt Reyson powered the rally, combining for 19 off the Bolts’ 36 points—Newsome scored 11, Reyson adding nine.
The Beermen reasserted control at the start of the fourth with a 10-2 run after leading 82-79. Perez sparked the surge with a layup and later knocked down a triple to extend the lead to 89-81, followed by a Juami Tiongson three-pointer that pushed it to 92-81.
"They were able to cut the lead, but because of our experience, especially June Mar, they know how to deal with those kinds of situations," said San Miguel head coach Leo Austria.
"They were able to cut the lead, but because of our experience, especially June Mar, they know how to deal with those kinds of situations,” he added.
Meralco made one final push, with Reymar Jose and Aaron Black scoring back-to-back to pull within six, 101-95, with just under three minutes to go. But San Miguel responded with six unanswered points to go up 105-97 in the final minute and secure the win.
Supporting roles came from Jeron Teng, who chipped in 11 points, three rebounds, and a steal, and Rodney Brondial, who added nine markers, nine boards, plus a deflection, an assists, and a rejection.
Captain Newsome led the Bolts with 27 points, seven assists, and four rebounds, while Reyson finished with 14 markers.
The 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, Torres 0, Rios 0, Caram 0, Pascual 0.
Quarter Scores: 25-21, 52-38, 77-74, 110-98.
