Diego Dario delivered the dagger, drilling a clutch triple with 6.4 seconds left to lift Quezon past Nueva Ecija, 78-77, on Saturday in the “Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season” at the Nueva Ecija Coliseum in Palayan City.
The crafty 5-foot-8 guard nailed his ninth three-pointer of the night to cap an incredible comeback from an 18-point deficit, 30-12, stunning the Rice Vanguards, who had never trailed until Dario’s killer shot.
Quezon Province, the reigning South Division champion, also shocked another North Division powerhouse, San Juan, 85-83, on August 16, boosting its record to 19-4 in the 30-team round-robin elimination phase.
Nueva Ecija, meanwhile, dropped to 22-2, surrendering the league’s top spot to Abra Solid North (22-1), though still ahead of San Juan (21-2).
Dario, a former Meralco Bolts guard, was unstoppable, finishing with 29 points on a blazing 9-of-11 shooting (81.8-percent) from long range. He also hit his lone two-point attempt and dished out three assists.
His performance earned Best Player honors over teammates Vince Magbuhos (10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks) and Judel Fuentes (10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals).
The Rice Vanguards, 2022 MPBL champions, leaned on Robby Celiz, who posted 18 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks. However, they’ll remember his costly misses — splitting free throws twice at the 41.5-second and 16.1-second marks.
Dario’s heroics overshadowed the efforts of the Marcelino twins: Jaycee had 15 points and 5 assists, while Jayvee contributed 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks.
In the second game, Cebu sustained its late push with a 97-93 win over Valenzuela.
Powered by Jan Jamon and homegrown standouts Jun Manzo, Reeve Ugsang, and Paul Desiderio, Cebu rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit (48-59) to improve to 10-15, keeping its playoff hopes alive at 10th place in the South Division.
Jamon, an Emilio Aguinaldo College product from Siniloan, Laguna, paced the team with 22 points and 3 rebounds. Manzo added 21 points and 5 assists, while Ugsang posted a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Desiderio chipped in 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Valenzuela dropped to 6-19 despite solid efforts from Kobe Monje (24 points, 7 rebounds), Jan Formento (15 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds), and Nem Dela Cruz (13 points, 3 rebounds).
The Magic had surged ahead with an 18-0 run for a 59-48 lead, but the Greats stormed back, taking an 82-78 advantage midway through the fourth, thanks to Ugsang and Desiderio’s timely baskets.
In the opening game, John Felix Corpuz played hero for Pasig City, hitting the game-winning three-pointer in overtime to escape Imus, 82-81.
The 6-foot-1 Corpuz, a gem from Immaculada Concepcion College, grabbed the rebound off Paul Belencion’s missed free throw with 5.7 seconds left. He then dribbled past halfcourt and launched the decisive triple — avoiding a traveling violation in the process — to lift Pasig to 9-15, tied with Bataan for ninth in the North Division.
Corpuz redeemed himself after missing crucial free throws that could have sealed the game in regulation, which ended 65-all after Imus’ Ryusei Koga and Pasig’s Paul Gadin both failed to convert late.
Imus slid to 9-15, sharing 11th place in the South Division despite Mark Doligon’s 25 points and 8 rebounds.
Pasig also drew strong performances from Warlo James Batac (18 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, Best Player), Jacob Galicia (22 points, 13 rebounds), Jerome Garcia (14 points, 4 assists), and Corpuz (11 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists).
Imus had contributions from Jayvee Dela Cruz (14 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists), Jaypee Belencion (11 points), and Regie Boy Basibas (10 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks).
The MPBL resumes Monday at the Orion Sports Complex with a triple-header: Manila vs. Bulacan at 4:00 PM, Ilagan Isabela vs. Basilan at 6:00 PM, and Bataan vs. Parañaque at 8:00 PM.
