LOSING so many games the previous season has toughened up Alec Stockton and the Converge FiberXers.

That explains why Stockton, the final winner of the PBA Press Corps-Pilipinas Live Player of the Week for the Governors’ Cup group stage, can savor the FiberXers’ return to the quarterfinals where a bigger challenge awaits.

“We got some of the learnings from the past season because we’ve taken a lot of losses,” said Stockton, who got the nod for the weekly honor given by the group scribes covering the PBA beat for Sept. 17 to 23.

Also considered were Stockton’s teammate Justin Arana, NLEX’s Robert Bolick and TNT’s RR Pogoy.

Stockton led the tailend of the FiberXers’ four-game winning streak to end the group stage, winning the last two from the final week of the initial phase of the tournament at the expense of Meralco and Magnolia.

He averaged 18.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals in the two games that helped the FiberXers finish third in Group A with a 6-4 win-loss record.

Converge doubled the win output it was able to compile through the 2023-24 season that also resulted in 19 losses in both the import-laden Commissioner’s Cup and Philippine Cup.

The FiberXers will face the San Miguel Beermen, the Group B runner-up, in a best-of-five series that starts today, Thursday, at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Far Eastern University product’s biggest showing came in Converge’s 105-97 win over Meralco last Sept. 18 where he sealed the upset with a three-point shot and a jumper, both off Chris Banchero in the waning moments.

“We kept taking their punches,” said Stockton, who had 27 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two steals against the Bolts. “Nobody wants to back down and everybody wants to win. You have to keep your best foot forward.”