Venky Jois powers NorthPort past Converge

Venky Jois made the paint his personal playground and dropped a 39-point and 21-rebound performance to power NorthPort to a 111-95 victory over the still winless Converge in the 2023 PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the PhilSports Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 6.

It was an all-around effort for Jois, who added six assists and four blocks for the Batang Pier side which seized control of the contest following a strong second quarter to establish a double-digit spread that it preserved until the end.

The win came on the heels of NorthPort’s morale-boosting upset win over TNT the last time out to improve to a 4-2 record in the standings.

The Batang Pier added to the FiberXers’ woes, becoming the only winless team in the conference at 0-6.

Arvin Tolentino amply supported Jois with 18 points while Joshua Munzon chipped in 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. Rookies Cade Flores and Fran Yu continued to impress under head coach Bonnie Tan with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

The Batang Pier created some separation in the second quarter with Jois and Munzon joining hands in an 11-3 run that turned a tight 37-all affair into a 48-40 advantage for NorthPort.

The Batang Pier kept the FiberXers at bay from there, taking a 58-48 lead at the half which eventually ballooned to as many as 18 points in the second half.

NorthPort’s second straight win spoiled the impressive debut of new Converge import Jamil Wilson. The former NBA player made a good account of himself with 30 points and 13 rebounds but hardly had support from his local crew as the first win remained elusive to Converge.