Beermen surge past Fuel Masters, end eliminations on three-game winning streak

The San Miguel Beermen capped their Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup elimination round on a strong note, defeating Phoenix 116-104 on Saturday at the Ynares Center.

After a back-and-forth battle through three quarters, San Miguel pulled away in the fourth. The decisive moment came when June Mar Fajardo knocked down a crucial three-pointer to extend the lead to 113-102 with under two minutes remaining.

The victory pushed San Miguel to a 7-5 record and extended their winning streak to three games. The Beermen avoided slipping to the No. 8 seed, though their final position will still depend on Sunday’s remaining games.

“We don’t want to enter the quarterfinals on a losing note,” said head coach Leo Austria. “Because of our standing, we’re really hungry for wins.”

Bennie Boatwright led the charge with a stellar performance of **34 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists**, including five three-pointers. Jericho Cruz delivered one of his best games of the season with **20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists** to earn Player of the Game honors.

Don Trollano added 14 points, CJ Perez contributed 12, and June Mar Fajardo anchored the paint with 16 rebounds despite being limited to 7 points offensively. Marcio Lassiter and Chris Miller chipped in 9 points each.

For Phoenix, Johnathan Williams posted a strong double-double with **26 points and 13 rebounds**. Kenneth Tuffin added 18 points, while Bryan Santos had 17. The Fuel Masters dropped to 6-6.

San Miguel now carries positive momentum into the quarterfinals.