MANILA, Philippines – In a game that opened the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the PhilSports Arena on Wednesday, CONVERGE came out firing, defeating hapless Terrafirma 116-87.

With 25 points and 16 rebounds, Cheick Diallo led the FiberXers in a rout that started in the first quarter and picked up speed as the game progressed.

Converge, which came dangerously close to at least replicating its franchise-best 32-point thumping of the same squad two months ago, was led by Justin Arana, Bryan Santos, Mike Nieto, freshman Jordan Heading, Alec Stockton, and Schonny Winston.

Coach Franco Atienza was clearly happy with his charges’ overall effort, as they shot 43-of-83 from the field, including 14-of-32 from three-point range, and dominated the boards 70-35.

Franco Atienza, head coach of the Converge FiberXers, stressed that the team’s recent triumph demonstrated that their focus went beyond the final score. Instead of only celebrating the victory, Atienza emphasized the significance of evaluating their whole performance and execution. He emphasized that the team’s plan and the way they approached the game were key factors in the successful outcome.

Atienza’s assessment of the game mostly relied on statistical analysis. The FiberXers’ controlled tempo and efficient collaboration demonstrated a balanced and well-coordinated effort, as evidenced by the stats. Atienza gave the players high marks for their coordination and control over the game’s tempo, which were crucial in winning.

Atienza was pleased with the team’s ability to maintain communication on both ends of the court, even though he acknowledged that it was only the first game of the season. As they advanced through the tournament, the coach underlined that maintaining consistency in performance and concentrating on execution would be essential. The result of the game gave the FiberXers a strong start and laid the groundwork for their next games. Atienza is still hopeful that the knowledge gained from this performance would enable them to keep up the momentum and improve their tactics even more.

Terrafirma’s decision to bench Christian Standhardinger, who was injured, Terrence Romeo, and Vic Manuel—who was purchased from San Miguel Beer just last Monday—helped Converge’s case.

The team’s attempt to have a spectacular start for new head coach Raymond Tiongco was evidently hampered by import Ryan Richards, who scored just 10 points on a 5-of-16 field shooting effort, while rookie CJ Catapusan and Stanley Pringle led the Dyip with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Tiongco had to bench the British-Jamaican for extended periods of time in the second half because the 6-11, 250-pound Richards, who did pull down 10 rebounds, was unable to keep up with and even adapt to the game’s sometimes quick tempo.

Terrafirma did mount a comeback and cut the deficit to eight points twice in the third period, the final one coming at 62-70, after trailing by as much as 21 points early.

Jeo Ambohot completed the rout with consecutive triples, giving the FiberXers a 116-83 lead. However, Kevin Racal’s corner three started a huge 16-2 attack that placed Converge ahead 86-64.

Franco Atienza, head coach of the Converge FiberXers, was pleased with his team’s performance in managing the game’s flow and carrying out their strategy. He admitted that the squad had won handily because they had been able to control the game in accordance with their plan. Atienza emphasized that it is still too early to forecast the course of their campaign and advised against extrapolating too much from the result.

Everyone was reminded by Atienza that a single victory, particularly early in the season, does not guarantee long-term success. He emphasized how crucial it is for the FiberXers to stay focused and consistent as they face the obstacles in the event.

Scores at the end of the match

CONVERGE with 116 points for the win

Individual scores: Diallo 25, Arana 16, Santos 12, Nieto 11, Heading 8, Winston 7, Stockton 7, Ambohot 6, Fleming 6, Andrade 5, Racal 5, Fornilos 3, Javillonar 3, Santos 2, Cabagnot 0.

TERRAFIRMA with 89 points

Individual scores: Catapusan 13, Sangalang 11, Pringle 11, Nonoy 11, Richards 10, Carino 8, Hernandez 6, Ramos 5, Melecio 4, Paraiso 3, Ferrer 3, Zaldivar 2, Hanapi 2.

Scores per quarter

34-16, 59-42, 86-67, 116-89