Defending champion Abra Solid North clobbered Bacolod, 129-45, on Monday to register the biggest winning margin in MPBL history at the One Arena Cainta in Rizal Province.
Powered by reigning MVP Dave Ildefonso’s career-high 40 points and backed by six teammates who also scored in double figures, the Weavers dominated the Maskarras from start to finish for an 84-point victory. The win surpassed the previous league record set by the San Juan Knights, who defeated the Mindoro Tamaraws, 146-64, on Sept. 13, 2022, and improved Abra’s league-best record to 15-1 in the elimination round.
Ildefonso also finished with eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals to earn Best Player of the Game honors over Raven Gonzales, who posted 19 points, 20 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
“We’re really trying to prove that we’re the team to beat,” said Ildefonso, adding that the victory meant more to him than his individual performance.
Abra, which moved ahead of San Juan (14-1) atop the standings, also got 13 points, seven assists, and two rebounds from Nico Elorde; 13 points, six rebounds, and three assists from Alfred Batino; and 10 points apiece from Tucker Molina, Josh Asuncion, and John Figueroa.
The Weavers dominated the boards, 65-36, and turned that advantage into a 70-10 edge in points in the paint, a 19-2 margin in second-chance points, and a 38-4 advantage in fast-break points. They also held the Maskarras to the league’s lowest scoring output this season as Bacolod dropped to 3-18.
Desmond Price led Bacolod with 12 points, while Emman Galman added 11 and Rafael Go contributed 10 points and 12 rebounds.
(C) MPBL
The Ilagan Isabela Cowboys followed with a 97-85 victory over the Marikina Shoemasters in the nightcap, improving to 12-6 and strengthening their grip on fourth place in the North Division.
JP Cauilan led Ilagan with 16 points and four rebounds, while Allen Mina added 14 points, two rebounds, and two assists. Arth Dela Cruz chipped in 13 points, five assists, and three rebounds.
Alex Cabagnot provided 11 points, seven assists, and four rebounds, while Robby Celiz finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three blocks.
The Cowboys raced to a 13-4 lead and never looked back, keeping pace with the North Division’s frontrunners—Abra (15-1), San Juan (14-1), and Caloocan (16-2).
Marikina, which slipped to 7-12, was led by Jeepy Faundo with 15 points and five rebounds. Regie Boy Basibas contributed 14 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and two assists, while John Jordan Sta. Ana also scored 14 points to go with four assists and two rebounds.
Earlier, the Valenzuela Darkhorse snapped its losing streak with a dominant 129-97 win over the Imus Yangkees to boost its playoff bid in the North Division.
With six players scoring in double figures, led by Geremy Robinson Jr., Valenzuela pulled away by as many as 32 points, 127-95, to improve to 9-10 after three straight defeats.
Robinson nearly recorded a triple-double, finishing with 22 points, including four three-pointers, along with nine rebounds, nine assists, three steals, and three blocks to earn Best Player of the Game honors over veteran Jay Collado, who had 20 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
“We just wanted to come back today and come back strong,” said Robinson, a former University of Santo Tomas Growling Tiger. “That’s why my attitude was just to attack and keep pushing myself.”
JR Olegario added 13 points, five assists, and three rebounds, while Justin Alano also scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds. Nick Baluyot chipped in 11 points, four assists, two rebounds, and two steals, while Nico Mamaradlo contributed 11 points and seven rebounds.
Valenzuela had squandered fourth-quarter leads in its previous losses to Marikina, Batangas, and Pasig, but left no room for another collapse this time.
Imus fell to 2-16 despite 28 points and seven rebounds from JM Marquez and 12 points from Paul Christian Ferrer.
The tournament resumes Tuesday at the Orion Sports Complex, with Basilan taking on Sarangani at 4 p.m., Manila facing Rizal at 6 p.m., and Bataan meeting Parañaque at 8 p.m.
