Ateneo Lady Eagle Aerieal Patnongon smiles as she chats with reporters after cheering boyfriend and San Miguel center June Mar Fajardo play against Globalport Tuesday night.
Graduating Ateneo Lady Eagle Aerieal Patnongon watched her boyfriend and San Miguel center June Mar Fajardo play live for the first time on Tuesday night in the Beermen’s final game of the conference at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
READ: PBA MVP Junemar Fajardo ‘in love’ with Lady Eagle Aerieal Patnongon
Patnongon cheered Fajardo while seated behind the San Miguel bench.
Playing inspired basketball, Fajardo didn’t disappoint and in fact played his best game of the 2015 Commissioner’s Cup with 31 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks to lead the Beermen over the Globalport Batang Pier.
But despite a 106-94 win, San Miguel still bowed out of the playoff race due to inferior quotient. The Beermen needed to beat the Batang Pier by 32 points to keep their quarterfinals hopes going.
READ: San Miguel trumps Globalport but bows out of playoff chase
The 6-foot-10 Fajardo also shot 10-of-15 from the field – confusing his primary defender Batang Pier import Derrick Caracter with an array of moves that included a one-dribble pull up jumper.
That, though, wasn’t the highlight of Fajardo’s night.
In a post-game television interview, Fajardo, egged on by a courtside reporter and the crowd, gave Patnongon a kiss on the left cheek that brought the house down.
“Nagulat ako. Hindi ko akalain na gagawin niya yon,” the 5-foot-10 Patnongon said smiling.
Even Fajardo’s head coach Leo Austria was entertained.
“Kiniss ba (Did he kiss her)?” Austria asked reporters as he made his way to the podium for his post-game interview with a laugh.