CEBU, Philippines - Convergys weaved one big surprise as it stunned defending champion Teletech Titans, 70-66, to gain a 1-0 upstart in their best-of-three finals series in the 1st Inter-BPO basketball tournament at the City Sports Club Cebu gym.
Convergys got off to a hot 17-11 start behind the efforts of Marc Pajo and Venerando Dela Peña Jr.
Convergys, a two-time champion, never ran out of energy as it sustained its momentum to mount a commanding 16-point edge at halftime, 36-20.
The Convergys mainstays were not done from there and even grew fiercer to pad their lead to 21 points at the end of the third canto, 54-33.
The Titans made a sudden fourth-quarter explosion but time were not on their side as Convergys had already piled up a huge lead to secure the win.
Pajo paced Convergys with 18 points, while De la Peña netted 14 points.
Ryan Paul Abordonado and Laurenz Limpangog led Teletech with 13 points apiece, while Erwin James Abellanosa and Shem Banua chipped in 21 points combined in a losing cause.
The scores
Convergys (70) – Pajo 18, Dela Peña 14, Tapic 7, Codilla 5, Contreras 5, Esteban 5, Sugatan 5, Villarin 4, Corbet 3, Mabanto 2, Sarmiento 2
Teletech (66) – Abordonado 13, Limpangog 13, Abellanosa 11, Banua 10, Cabahig 6, Sultan 6, Clemente 5, Biaño 2. – Marigold P. Lebumfacil (THE FREEMAN)