FiberXers end conference on a high, overpower Bossing

The Converge FiberXers capped their Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup campaign with a strong finish, defeating Blackwater 136-122 on Saturday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Despite both teams being eliminated from playoff contention, Converge showed greater urgency in the fourth quarter. After import Donovan Smith fouled out with 9:36 left, the FiberXers responded with their best stretch of the night, exploding for 47 points in the final period to pull away for good.

Juan Gomez de Liano led the charge with **25 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists**, while Justine Baltazar posted a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. Calvin Abueva added 15 points, and four other players scored 12 points each.

Head coach Franco “Delta” Pineda challenged his team to treat the game like a do-or-die match.

“I told them to approach it like a must-win. Even if it was our last game, we still needed to compete and finish strong,” Pineda said. “Being out of contention doesn’t mean you relax.”

Converge finished the conference with a 5-7 record, winning four of their last six games after an earlier five-game losing skid.

For Blackwater, the season ended with a 2-10 record. Robert Upshaw delivered a monster performance with **45 points and 18 rebounds**, but received little help. Sedrick Barefield added 20 points, and Abu Tratter had 13. The Bossing finished at the bottom of the standings in 13th place.