What Happened

The Meralco Bolts defeated the Macau Black Bears 92–74 at EASL’s first-ever charity event, “Basketball for Cebu,” on November 15. In the first professional basketball game ever held at Cebu Coliseum, the two league teams faced off in a matchup where all proceeds from the night went toward relief efforts for victims of the recent earthquakes and flooding in Cebu.

In their second straight home game, Meralco delivered a wire-to-wire win, separating itself through ball movement and control of the glass. The Bolts recorded a season-high 22 assists and dominated the boards with a 60–37 rebounding advantage, also a season-best mark.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led all scorers with a season-high 34 points and 11 rebounds. Ismael Romero added 25 points and an incredible 28 rebounds, setting a new EASL single-game record. For Macau, Damian Chongqui paced four double-digit scorers with 25 points and three 3-pointers, while JD Miller and Omari Peek-Green chipped in 14 points each, with Miller also pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds.

What It Means 

After dropping their first two EASL games of the 2025–26 season, the Meralco Bolts have bounced back to 2–2, winning two straight and moving to within one victory of tying their all-time EASL record for wins. The Bolts now sit second in the Group B standings, jumping ahead of the B.LEAGUE’s Ryukyu Golden Kings with this latest win and trailing only the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, a team they defeated just a week ago.

The Macau Black Bears, meanwhile, drop their season opener on the road and start the campaign at 0–1.

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EASL Player of the Game: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson 

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s 34 points powered Meralco to a dominant win. All night, he scored in the loudest ways possible. The former NBA veteran threw down two poster dunks in the first half alone, including a Chris Banchero alley-oop that ignited the Cebu Coliseum crowd.

In the second half, the three-time PBA champion kept attacking, adding two more emphatic slams.

After the game, Hollis-Jefferson said:

“I hope it leaves hope. At the end of the day, some things are out of our control as humans but I hope the game tonight inspires them. I hope it leaves hope, man. I hope they keep fighting. Keep supporting us and we’ll continue to support them.”

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Super Statistic: 28 

Ismael Romero’s 28 rebounds set a new EASL single-game record and turned his night into one of the most dominant rebounding performances the league has seen. He passed the previous mark of 23, set by Chiba Jets forward Xavier Cooks in the 2023-24 EASL Final Four semifinal when Chiba beat the New Taipei Kings. Romero even grabbed 23 defensive rebounds on their own, which would have been enough to tie Cooks’ record by itself.

The best part is where it all happened. Both records were set in Cebu. Cooks did it first at the Lapu Lapu Hoops Dome on March 8. Now Romero owns the top spot after his 28-board night at Cebu Coliseum. Something about the Queen City air just seems to bring out the rebounders.

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Next Up 

Meralco and Macau won’t have to wait long for a rematch. The two teams meet again on December 6 at The Capital Arena in Ilagan City, Isabela. It will be the Bolts’ second game there after their win over the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots on October 8.

For Macau, it’s a chance to bounce back from the loss in Cebu and try to even their EASL record at 1–1.