Phoenix Fuel Masters beat Meralco Bolts 109-97 in PBA Philippine Cup

The Phoenix Fuel Masters secured their first win of the PBA Philippine Cup season by defeating the Meralco Bolts, 109-97, on Sunday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Phoenix started with a strong lead, taking a 31-13 advantage after the opening quarter and leading by as many as 26 points in the game.

Tyler Tio led Phoenix with 22 points and six assists, while Ricci Rivero added 20 points with perfect shooting from beyond the arc (4-of-4). Jason Perkins contributed 19 points and five rebounds.

Phoenix limited Meralco to just 34.4% shooting from the field and outperformed them in free throws, making 40 of their 51 attempts compared to Meralco's 20 of 31.

Chris Newsome led Meralco with 18 points, but it was not enough as Phoenix never let go of its double-digit lead throughout the game.