Abra Solid North showcased their firepower and dominated Pampanga, 94-80, on Tuesday to share the lead in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season at the Lucena City Convention Center.
With Dave Ildefonso leading the charge; Raven Gonzales and John Uduba controlling the boards; and Marwin Taywan orchestrating the plays, the Weavers maintained control throughout the game, reaching a high of 49-21 and improving their record to 21-1 — tied with the San Juan Knights for the top spot.
In the nightcap, the Quezon Huskers followed suit with a commanding 91-54 victory over the Basilan Starhorse Portmasters, maintaining their hold on the South Division’s top spot in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team, two-division tournament.
Ildefonso posted 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists to earn best player honors, outshining Taywan, who contributed 17 points and 10 assists; Uduba, who finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds; and Taywan, who added 9 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 assists.
Taywan was especially deadly from beyond the arc, sinking 4 of 5 three-point attempts, while Joshua David made 2 of 3. The Weavers converted 8 of 22 tries from deep and shot an impressive 24 of 28 from the free-throw line, an 85.7-percent clip.
The Pampanga Giant Lanterns fell to 15-7, raising doubts about their ability to complete a three-peat.
Pampanga’s top performers included Archie Concepcion with 24 points and 2 steals; Larry Muyang, who posted a double-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks; and Jhaymo Eguilos, who added 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists.
The Huskers, deadlier from outside, drained 35 of 73 field goals, including 17 of 37 from three-point range, improving their record to 17-4.
Judel Fuentes paced Quezon with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. Will Gozum contributed 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals, while LJ Gonzales added 9 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.
Homegrown icon Topeng Lagrama scored 9 points — all from triples — along with 3 assists and 2 rebounds; and Ximone Sandagon chipped in 9 points and 3 rebounds.
Basilan suffered their second straight loss to drop to 10-11, tied for eighth place with Muntinlupa in the South Division. Only Gab Dagangon reached double digits with 10 points, followed by Michael Alvarez with 8, and Sherwin Concepcion with 7.
In the opener, Caloocan Batang Kankaloo subdued Valenzuela City Magic, 69-56, to clinch a playoff berth.
The Batang Kankaloo allowed Valenzuela to lead for only 48 seconds before taking control, improving their record to 16-7. They remain behind sure qualifiers San Juan (21-1), Abra (20-1), Nueva Ecija (20-1), Pampanga (15-6), and Pangasinan (15-6), but ahead of Pasay (15-8) and Ilagan Isabela (12-10) in the North Division standings.
Homegrown Paul Casin led Caloocan with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. Jeff Manday added 11 points and 4 rebounds, while Rommel Calahat finished with 9 points and 10 assists.
Valenzuela’s top scorers were Jan Formento with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, and Nem Dela Cruz with 10 points and 6 rebounds.
With Junjun Bonsubre matching Calahat’s 10 rebounds, Caloocan dominated the boards, 63-56, and used that advantage to score 36 points in the paint compared to just 16 for Valenzuela.
The MPBL action continues at the Batangas City Coliseum on Monday, featuring Sarangani vs. Muntinlupa at 4:00 PM, Mindoro vs. Gensan at 6:00 PM, and Batangas vs. Bacolod at 8:00 PM.
