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Abueva Unleashes 41 Points As Titan Ultra Stuns Meralco In PBA Debut Thriller
Photo credit: PBA
Calvin “The Beast” Abueva reminded everyone why he earned his nickname, exploding for a career-high 41 points to power Titan Ultra to a 100-96 win over Meralco in their PBA Philippine Cup debut Wednesday night at the Ynares Center.
It wasn’t the smoothest start for the Giant Risers, who fell into a quick 0-11 hole with turnovers and missed shots piling up. But once Abueva got going, there was no stopping him. He dropped 10 points in the second quarter to tie things up at halftime, then went off for 16 more in the third, fueling a 31-18 run that gave Titan a commanding 76-63 lead.
The gap even ballooned to 90-71 before Meralco mounted a fiery comeback, led by CJ Cansino and Brandon Bates, trimming the deficit to just three in the closing minutes.
But when it mattered most, Abueva did more than score — diving for loose balls, tapping rebounds, and making hustle plays that set up crucial points, including the free throws from Joshua Munzon that sealed the game with just 4.9 seconds left.
“Kilala naman natin kung gaano kalakas ang katawan niyan, tsaka puso niya—talagang ‘The Beast,’ so we go for him,” said Titan coach Johnedel Cardel, who just took over the team (formerly NorthPort) a week ago.
Munzon backed up Abueva with 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Cade Flores chipped in 10 off the bench.
For Meralco, Cansino dropped 22 points — 14 of them in the fourth quarter — while Raymond Almazan, Bong Quinto, and Bates also finished in double figures.
Despite the loss, the Bolts have little time to dwell as they face Rain or Shine next, while Titan Ultra looks to carry its momentum against Converge this Saturday in Montalban.
As for Abueva? His message was simple: “Excited kaming maglaro ng first game… at naibuhos namin ang depensa. Doon nagsimula ang opensa namin.”
The Beast is back — and he’s hungrier than ever.
It wasn’t the smoothest start for the Giant Risers, who fell into a quick 0-11 hole with turnovers and missed shots piling up. But once Abueva got going, there was no stopping him. He dropped 10 points in the second quarter to tie things up at halftime, then went off for 16 more in the third, fueling a 31-18 run that gave Titan a commanding 76-63 lead.
The gap even ballooned to 90-71 before Meralco mounted a fiery comeback, led by CJ Cansino and Brandon Bates, trimming the deficit to just three in the closing minutes.
But when it mattered most, Abueva did more than score — diving for loose balls, tapping rebounds, and making hustle plays that set up crucial points, including the free throws from Joshua Munzon that sealed the game with just 4.9 seconds left.
“Kilala naman natin kung gaano kalakas ang katawan niyan, tsaka puso niya—talagang ‘The Beast,’ so we go for him,” said Titan coach Johnedel Cardel, who just took over the team (formerly NorthPort) a week ago.
Munzon backed up Abueva with 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Cade Flores chipped in 10 off the bench.
For Meralco, Cansino dropped 22 points — 14 of them in the fourth quarter — while Raymond Almazan, Bong Quinto, and Bates also finished in double figures.
Despite the loss, the Bolts have little time to dwell as they face Rain or Shine next, while Titan Ultra looks to carry its momentum against Converge this Saturday in Montalban.
As for Abueva? His message was simple: “Excited kaming maglaro ng first game… at naibuhos namin ang depensa. Doon nagsimula ang opensa namin.”
The Beast is back — and he’s hungrier than ever.
Oct 9, 2025
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