CONVERGE ENDS SEASON ON WINNING NOTE, PUTS TNT PLAYOFF HOPES IN PERIL

MANILA, Philippines: Converge closed its PBA Season 48 campaign on a winning note after pulling 107-103 upset against TNT in the FiberXers' final game of the Philippine Cup eliminations on Wednesday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

The FiberXers laid everything on the floor as six players scored in double figures against a shellshocked Tropang Giga.

Aljun Melecio starred for Converge with 17 points, while Justin Arana and Bryan Santos each added 15.

King Caralipio added 14 and six boards, rookie Deschon Winston chipped in 13 and seven rebounds, while seldom-used freshman big Patrick Maadenberg scored 10 of his career-high 14 in the final period as the FiberXers closed the all-Filipino campaign with a 2-9 record.

"The second group won it for us. They played harder than the first group and a lot of our players from the second group had double digits in scoring," said Converge coach Aldin Ayo, whose team's first win came at the expense of TNT's sister team Meralco last week, 104-99.

The loss left a dent at TNT's top 6 aspirations as the charges of coach Chot Reyes fell into a four-way tie for fifth to eighth spots with Rain or Shine, Meralco and Terrafirma with identical 5-5 records.

The Tropang Giga will now have to win their last game against the Magnolia Hotshots on Sunday.

Calvin Oftana saw his 33-point, 12-rebound effort go to waste for TNT.

Roger Pogoy also had a big night, firing 29 markers while Kim Aurin and Glen Khobuntin were the only other double-figure scorers with 13 and 11, respectively.

Yanga, former RFM alternate governor dies of lingering illness

Former Pop Cola/Swift team manager Elmer Yanga passed away on Wednesday due to a lingering illness. He was 78.

Known for his amiable personality, Yanga served as team manager when RFM Corporation joined the PBA as one of the two expansion squads during the 1990 season.

The team back then was known as Pop Cola, with Yeng Guiao serving as the expansion squad's first coach.

Yanga also served as the team's alternate governor till the RFM franchise bid goodbye in 2001. The year after, he served as team manager of the PBA-backed national team that placed fourth in the 2002 Busan Asian Games.

The soft-spoken former PBA official won Executive of the Year honors during the first three years the award was given from 1993 to 1995.

The pro league paid tribute to Yanga before the start of the TNT-Converge match on Wednesday at the Philsports Arena. RICHARD DY

2024-05-02T00:28:32Z dg43tfdfdgfd