Caloocan silenced Bulacan down the stretch and escaped with a 91-84 victory on Thursday to seize the solo lead in the MPBL 2026 Season at the Malolos Convention Center in Bulacan.
Trailing 83-84 with 1:17 remaining, the Batang Kankaloo closed the game on an 8-0 run to secure their 10th straight win in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 28-team tournament.
Jeramer Cabanag ignited Caloocan’s finishing kick with a driving layup, before Jielo Razon and Dom Escobar knocked down two free throws each. Cabanag then sealed the win with two more charities with 5.7 seconds left.
Kymani Ladi, however, earned Best Player of the Game honors after sparking a crucial 10-3 rally with six points that helped Caloocan regain control, 83-79, after squandering a 50-24 advantage.
The former Ateneo Blue Eagle finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. Jammer Jamito added 13 points and seven rebounds, while Cabanag contributed 11 points and four assists. Paul Hendrix Casin also chipped in 10 points.
Caloocan improved to 10-0, moving ahead of Gensan (9-0) in the race for playoff positioning.
Bulacan — which trailed 30-50 at halftime — mounted a strong comeback behind Benedict Benedictos, who drilled seven triples to help the Kuyas take a 70-63 lead entering the fourth quarter. However, they faded late and dropped to 3-6 in the standings.
Benedictos finished with 29 points, three rebounds, and two steals, while Airohn Acop tallied 18 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Andrei Acop added 11 points and six rebounds.
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Meanwhile, the Quezon Huskers cruised past the Ilagan Isabela Cowboys, 89-64, to improve to 7-0.
Led by Judel Fuentes, John Abate, and Diego Dario, the Huskers pulled away for good with a dominant run that stretched the lead to 89-54, handing the Cowboys their fourth straight defeat for a 5-5 record.
Fuentes posted 17 points and three rebounds, Abate added 15 points and seven rebounds, while Dario contributed 13 points and two assists. Will McAloney chipped in seven points, nine rebounds, and three assists for the back-to-back South Division champions.
Arth Dela Cruz paced Ilagan Isabela with 14 points, five rebounds, and two steals. Donald Gumaru scored 11 points, while Alex Cabagnot added 10 points and two rebounds.
In the opener, Zamboanga SiKat edged Pasig, 91-89, behind a huge fourth-quarter performance from Paeng Are.
The former San Sebastian star scored 16 of his total points in the final frame as Zamboanga snapped a five-game losing streak and improved to 2-7.
Tied at 81, Joshua Lazaro converted a jumper before Are knocked down five straight free throws to give Zamboanga an 88-81 cushion with 1:24 left.
Are also finished with eight assists, five rebounds, and three steals to earn Best Player of the Game honors. Reggz Gabat added 19 points, highlighted by five triples, along with five rebounds and three assists.
Jhon Calisay chipped in 11 points, two assists, and two rebounds for Zamboanga, which dominated the rebounding battle, 50-32, anchored by Lazaro’s 12 boards.
Pasig saw its four-game winning streak snapped and slipped to 6-2 despite Jacob Galicia’s 19 points, nine rebounds, and two steals. Jerome Garcia added 18 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while Warlo Batac contributed 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
The MPBL returns to the Paco Arena in Manila on Friday with Paranaque facing Valenzuela at 4:00 PM, Gensan taking on Cebu at 6:00 PM, and Manila battling Abra at 8:00 PM.
