The Converge FiberXers made a gutsy stand against all-Filipino favorite San Miguel Beermen, completing a 100-97 triumph in a thrilling PBA Philippine Cup matchup on Wednesday, June 11, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The FiberXers had their ways of recovering after blowing an 18-point lead which they installed in the first half.

Schonny Winston paved the way for the narrow win, listing a game-high 25 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Justin Arana made his presence felt in the paint, converting 10-of-16 inside the arc for a total of 21 points.

JL de Los Santos totaled 13 markers, breaching twin-digit territory, but what mattered most were his key hits late in the game.

It turned out to be a shootout in the last few minutes, as CJ Perez and Winston converted their respective shots on the field with a little over four minutes left.

De Los Santos and King Caralipio supported Winston’s makes with a triple and a layup, respectively, to build a 99-93 lead, 1:02 on the clock.

But Don Trollano was there for San Miguel’s last gasp, injecting hope to the Beermen side with a four-pointer with 56 seconds left for a 99-97 count.

The FiberXers later found the crucial defensive stop they needed, forcing a 24-second turnover on the Beermen with 6.6 ticks left on the clock and forced a duty foul on Marcio Lassiter.

Delos Santos split his trip to the charity line, keeping the game wide open for the Beermen, 100-97. Perez still had one last attempt on the corner, but that didn’t go through, marking Converge’s seventh win in 11 games.

The Beermen dropped to a 7-3 win-loss record, but remained in contention for a playoff bonus.

They have an inside track of reaching eight wins as they take on lowly NorthPort Batang Pier next — although the latter just won against league-leader NLEX Road Warriors earlier in the day. (ABS-CBN News)