By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Meralco Bolts pulled off another masterful display in their convincing drubbing of the Terrafirma Dyip, 118-80, in the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup on April 6, 2025, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
With the win, Meralco just claimed the solo first place in the tournament standings after racing to a quick 2-0 win-loss record and boosted its redemption campaign following a disappointing finish in the recently concluded PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
From a slow start that nearly put them in trouble in their debut game against the Converge FiberXers, the Bolts made sure no emergency rallies would be deployed as they dominated Terrafirma from start to finish.
The Bolts immediately blew the game wide-open after establishing a commanding 30-16 advantage in the first half and never looked back until the final buzzer.
After the MVP-backed franchise built the double-digit lead, the struggling Terrafirma squad just went flat and failed to execute their crisp offensive sets just like their opening win against the Phoenix Fuel Masters.
Defense has been the key for the disciplined Meralco team as they shut down Terrafirma’s efficient perimeter scoring and limited their open looks from the shaded lane.
From a mixed-zone to a soft man-to-man approach, Meralco wore down Terrafirma and sent the early exclamation midway through the third frame.
The Bolts banked on their balanced scoring spree as six of their players all reached double digits in scoring led by former Iloilo United Royals sniper CJ Cansino who top-scored with 19 points.
Cansino, who had a dismal performance shooting the leather in their game against Converge, bounced back when Meralco needed his offense and sprayed three treys and several aggressive drives to the basket.
Backstopping Cansino were Kurt Reyson and Bong Quinto, who delivered 16 and 13 markers, respectively, while Alvin Pasaol and Jolo Mendoza each dropped 11 points.
On the other hand, versatile front court star Louie Sangalang was the only bright spot for the Dyip after churning 23 points. Terrence Romeo, who flashed his vintage self against the Fuel Masters, got hounded by the pesky Meralco defense and was only limited to nine markers.
The Bolts will gun for their third consecutive win on April 9, 2025, against the San Miguel Beermen while Terrafirma seeks to rebound on April 12, 2025, against the NorthPort Batang Pier.
