Meralco Upsets San Miguel in PBA Philippine Cup
Cliff Hodge and Allein Maliksi conspire to lift Meralco to an all-important PBA Philippine Cup win over mighty San Miguel, denying the Beermen the first conference sweep in 10 years.
Meralco Plays Spoiler
Meralco became the first team to defeat the San Miguel Beermen after 10 games, securing a quarterfinals berth with a 95-92 victory at the Batangas City Coliseum on Saturday, May 4.
Game Highlights
- Meralco advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-5 record, ensuring a top 6 finish and avoiding a twice-to-win disadvantage in the playoffs.
- If San Miguel had won, they would have been only the fifth team in PBA history to go undefeated in the eliminations.
- San Miguel made a late surge with an 18-4 run in the fourth quarter, nearly erasing Meralco’s 16-point lead.
Key Players
In a balanced scoring effort, Meralco saw five players contribute double-digit points:
- Cliff Hodge with 20 points
- Allein Maliksi with 19 points
- Chris Newsome with 17 points
- Bong Quinto with 12 points
- Chris Banchero with 10 points
On the San Miguel side, June Mar Fajardo led with 23 points, while Jericho Cruz and Don Trollano added 14 points each.
Final Scores
Meralco 95 – Hodge 20, Maliksi 19, Newsome 17, Quinto 12, Banchero 10, Caram 6, Almazan 6, Bates 5, Pascual 0, Dario 0, Pasaol 0, Torres 0.
San Miguel 92 – Fajardo 23, Cruz 14, Trollano 14, Lassiter 9, Perez 8, Romeo 8, Enciso 6, Tautuaa 4, Brondial 4, Manuel 2, Teng 0, Ross 0.
Quarters: 27-20, 52-44, 82-66, 95-92.