From 6-0 and untouchable to stunned in three brutal minutes.
Terrafirma pulled the rug from under red-hot NLEX and delivered a massive 114-109 upset Friday night, ending the Road Warriors’ perfect start to the PBA Governors’ Cup in dramatic fashion at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
And this wasn’t just an upset.
It was a late-game heist.
NLEX appeared to have victory tucked away after JB Bahio gave the Road Warriors a 109-105 advantage with only 3:11 remaining.
Then everything went horribly wrong.
The league’s hottest team suddenly went ice-cold.
Terrafirma smelled blood—and attacked.
9-0 KILL SHOT!
Maverick Ahanmisi sparked the Dyip’s furious uprising, setting up Geo Chiu for a left-handed layup before stealing the ball from Schonny Winston and feeding Chiu again for the game-tying basket.
Just like that, NLEX’s four-point cushion was gone.
Then Brent Paraiso went for the jugular.
Paraiso buried the go-ahead layup before grabbing a massive offensive rebound that eventually sent him to the foul line, where he calmly knocked down two charities for a 113-109 Terrafirma lead.
Ahanmisi added the final point with 2.9 seconds left.
Nine unanswered points.
Zero response from NLEX.
And just like that, the Road Warriors’ immaculate 6-0 record was history.
DYIP FINALLY GET THEIR REVENGE
The victory was especially sweet for a Terrafirma squad that had been repeatedly tortured in close games.
Their previous defeats had come by no more than five points—including a heartbreaking 101-100 loss to NLEX on July 12.
This time, the Dyip refused to become another heartbreak story.
“Siguro this game swerte kami kasi we really, really want it,” Terrafirma coach Ronald Tubid said.
Tubid admitted his squad had struggled to close games because of fading energy in the final minutes.
Not this time.
Against the conference’s lone unbeaten squad, Terrafirma kept swinging until NLEX finally cracked.
“Although they are 6-0, matchup-wise makaka-matchup kami,” Tubid said. “All we need to do is compete every possession.”
Mission accomplished.
Terrafirma improved to 3-4, suddenly dragging itself into a tie for fourth place in Group A while sending a warning to the rest of the field:
The Dyip are not dead yet.
STRINGS GOES BEAST MODE
Justin Strings was Terrafirma’s biggest weapon, exploding for 28 points and 11 rebounds to lead all scorers.
Juami Tiongson poured in 20 points, while Paraiso added 18 and delivered some of the biggest baskets of the night.
Ahanmisi stuffed the stat sheet with a 16-point, 10-assist double-double, while Chiu grabbed 12 rebounds to go with eight points.
But the numbers only tell part of the story.
When the game reached winning time, Terrafirma showed nerves of steel.
NLEX did not.
FROM PERFECT TO PUNISHED
The defeat will sting badly for the Road Warriors because they had several chances to put Terrafirma away.
NLEX led by seven, 69-62, in the third period and was still sitting on a four-point advantage deep into the fourth.
But their usually smooth offense suddenly vanished when it mattered most.
Robert Bolick and Bahio finished with 20 points each, with Bahio also grabbing a career-best 16 rebounds.
DeQuan Jones scored 19 points but disappeared offensively after halftime, producing only four points in the final two quarters.
Winston finished with 16 while LJay Gonzales added 15 off the bench.
None could stop the meltdown.
For six straight games, nobody could beat NLEX.
Then Terrafirma came along.
The Dyip absorbed NLEX’s best punches, survived the pressure and landed the knockout blow when it mattered most.
Perfect no more.
Streak over.
Upset complete.
THE SCORES
TERRAFIRMA 114 — Strings 28, Tiongson 20, Paraiso 18, Ahanmisi 16, Bravo 16, Chiu 8, Eriobu 8, Hanapi 0, Mariano 0, Catapusan 0.
NLEX 109 — Bolick 20, Bahio 20, Jones 19, Winston 16, Gonzales 15, Gamboa 8, Alas 4, Nelle 3, Valdez 2, Capulong 2, Rodger 0.
Quarters: 34-30, 60-65, 88-86, 114-109.
