Defending champion Abra Solid North and Batangas City stayed on top of their respective divisions after beating their opponents Wednesday in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the Batangas City Coliseum.
The Abra Weavers routed the Bulacan Kuyas, 110-84, in the first game, while the Batangas City Tanduay Athletics thwarted the Imus Yangkees, 88-80, in the nightcap of another triple-header in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 26-team tournament.
Abra extended its winning streak to 17 games and improved to 19-1 in the North Division, ahead of San Juan (16-2), Caloocan (17-3), and Ilagan Isabela (13-8) in the race for playoff spots.
Batangas, meanwhile, survived Imus’ late rally to rise to 16-3 in the South Division, where Quezon Province (13-3), Binan (17-4), Gensan (15-4), and Cebu (17-5) are also in contention.
The Cebu Greats trounced the Ilagan Isabela Cowboys, 80-52, in the second game to remain in the hunt for a top-four finish and the homecourt advantage that comes with it in the quarterfinal playoffs.
Mark Meneses led Cebu with 14 points and 11 rebounds, followed by Wowie Escosio with 10 points and six rebounds, homegrown Elmer Echavez with nine points and three rebounds, and Cebuano legend Dondon Hontiveros with nine points, all from beyond the arc.
Simon Camacho was named the game’s best player after an all-around performance of six points, 17 rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and one steal.
Impressive as the Greats were, Camacho believes they still have another level to reach.
“I feel this isn’t our best yet. This team has something more to offer,” said the 6-foot-5 Camacho.
Only Jayboy Solis managed to score in double figures for the Cowboys, finishing with 10 points and three rebounds, while Arth Dela Cruz had six points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks.
Dave Ildefonso, the reigning MVP, posted 23 points, seven assists, and two rebounds to earn his fifth consecutive best player award for Abra.
Alfred Batino added 13 points and six rebounds, while last year’s top rookie Raven Gonzales contributed 13 points and four rebounds. Jake Figueroa chipped in 10 points, seven assists, five steals, and four rebounds, while 6-foot-8 Drex Delos Reyes had 10 points and two rebounds.
The Weavers dominated the boards, 47-30, and capitalized on that advantage by outscoring the Kuyas, 72-26, in the paint.
Bulacan fell to 5-16 despite a strong showing from Benedict Benedictos, who scored 29 points on nine three-pointers while adding three assists and two rebounds. Andrei Acop contributed 12 points and seven rebounds, while Jeremy Cruz had 12 points and two assists.
Batangas led by as many as 25 points, 63-38, midway through the third quarter before Imus mounted a fourth-quarter rally.
The Yangkees cut the deficit to 81-78 after back-to-back three-pointers by Dylan Darbin and Meray Merada, but Ino Comboy answered with a triple before Oliver Arim drove to the basket to give Batangas an 86-78 lead with 41.3 seconds remaining.
Rhinwill Yambing paced Batangas with 18 points, four rebounds, and two assists, while Cedrick Ablaza added 12 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists. Homegrown Nikki Perez chipped in 11 points and four rebounds, while Jhan Nermal finished with nine points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and four steals.
Imus dropped to 3-16 despite Darbin’s 27 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Ian Pardo added 16 points and four assists, while John Calma had 10 points, nine rebounds, and three steals.
The tournament returns to One Arena Cainta in Rizal Province on Thursday, with Manila facing Marikina at 3 p.m., Paranaque taking on Quezon Province at 5 p.m., and Pasig battling Negros at 7 p.m.
