Fajardo Shines with 'Import' Performance as Beermen Edge FiberXers

June Mar Fajardo proved why he's still the heart of San Miguel, delivering an import-worthy performance to lead the Beermen to a crucial 103-99 victory over the Converge FiberXers in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Center on Wednesday night.

With Marcus Lee not at his best, Fajardo stepped up, finishing with 27 points, 17 rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while committing just two turnovers. His key basket-and-one late in the game sealed the win for San Miguel as they snapped their losing streak.

“Credit to the coaches and my teammates; we stepped up because it's tough to start 0-2 in a fast-paced conference. We need to take each game as it comes and fight for every win,” said Fajardo, reflecting on the team’s mindset after a tough loss to Titan Ultra in the opener.

San Miguel coach Leo Austria commended his players' resilience, noting that this victory could serve as a confidence boost ahead of their important matchup with TNT on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We needed this kind of experience,” said Austria. “The last game was frustrating, but tonight, we saw the true San Miguel. It was a close game, but my players stayed focused. Last time, we were out of focus, committing too many turnovers and giving up fast-break points. We’re slowly recovering.”

Though San Miguel appeared out of sync for much of the first three quarters, they rallied in the third to take a 73-71 lead and held off Converge in the final stretch. CJ Perez added 24 points, Don Trollano contributed 18, and Marcio Lassiter pitched in with 11. Meanwhile, Lee struggled with just 10 points and 12 rebounds, further highlighting Fajardo’s role as the team’s driving force.

For Converge, Justine Baltazar led with 19 points, Alec Stockton added 17, and Mikee Williams chipped in, but the FiberXers fell to a 1-3 record, suffering their third loss of the conference without key players Juan Gomez de Liano and Calvin Abueva.

San Miguel, meanwhile, improves to 1-1, showing signs of the championship pedigree they've been known for, with Fajardo leading the way.