Giant Risers shock Beermen, net first win

Titan Ultra finally found its rhythm in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup, stunning debuting San Miguel Beer, 119-112, at the Ynares Center on Saturday night.

After suffering blowout losses in their first two games, the youth-laden Giant Risers unleashed a 41-point third quarter, at one point leading by 21, before fending off a furious late rally from the traditional powerhouse.

The win was doubly sweet for rookie head coach Rensy Bajar, marking his first victory at the helm—against the same San Miguel squad that handed Titan Ultra a 41-point defeat in the previous Philippine Cup.

“Challenge lang namin siguro, especially sa akin challenge ko sa mga players, have some pride. Number one on their jobs, on this team, because this Titan team can beat anybody,” Bajar said. “Ang gameplan lang namin, since San Miguel is coming off a championship last conference, siguro medyo nasa cloud nine pa sila, at the same time baka hindi pa nila kami sineryoso.”

Joshua Munzon led the charge with 29 points, earning Player of the Game honors. The former Most Improved Player scored 11 points in the fourth quarter alone, key in keeping San Miguel at bay. When the Beermen narrowed the gap to four points with 3:46 remaining, Munzon responded with a layup following Cade Flores’ basket, extending Titan’s lead to 116-108 with 1:28 to play. He later split free throws to make it 117-112, before Fran Yu sealed the win at the line.

Flores posted an all-around stat line of 13 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, while Yu flirted with a double-double with nine points, 10 assists, and two steals. Import Michael Gilmore dominated inside, finishing with 28 points and 13 rebounds, clearly outmatching Marcus Lee, who struggled with just four points, five rebounds, and three assists in 24 minutes.

San Miguel’s CJ Perez led his squad with 27 points and seven assists, Don Trollano added 21 points, and Mo Tautua'a contributed 18 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks. Nine-time MVP June Mar Fajardo recorded a double-double of 15 points and 17 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a flashback to their slow start last season.

The defending Philippine Cup champions now face a challenging stretch, with upcoming games against Converge, TNT, Macau, and Ginebra. Titan Ultra, meanwhile, will aim to build on the momentum of its breakthrough win.