The Ilagan Isabela Cowboys rode the hot shooting of Kyle Paranada to fend off the Bulacan Kuyas, 82-78, and improve to 8-5 in the 2026 MPBL Regular Season on Tuesday at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Paranada, a former University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers standout, erupted for 29 points. He shot a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc, 5-for-9 on two-point attempts, and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line. His final two free throws sealed the Cowboys’ third straight victory.
The 5-foot-9 guard from San Diego, California, earned Best Player of the Game honors over Jayboy Solis, who tallied 18 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.
Also stepping up for Ilagan were Allen Mina with seven points and three assists, and Alex Cabagnot with six points, six assists, and three rebounds. Meanwhile, homegrown forward TJ Felebrico had five points and 12 rebounds.
Veteran Robby Celiz added nine rebounds, three assists, and a crucial free throw that tied the game at 73-all midway through the fourth quarter.
Jeremy Cruz gave Bulacan a 76-75 lead with a three-pointer, but Paranada answered with a triple of his own to ignite Ilagan’s decisive 7-2 run over the final 2:40.
Bulacan, which dropped to 4-8, was led by Cruz with 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Mart James Barrera also scored 14 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists, while Benedict Benedictos added 11 points and Jonathan Medina contributed 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
In the later game, the Cebu Greats showcased their long-range marksmanship to defeat the Pasay Voyagers, 92-82, and extend their winning streak to three games.
Led by Cebuano legend Dondon Hontiveros, who knocked down three of his four attempts from deep, the Greats shot an impressive 12-for-22 from three-point range (54.5-percent), compared to Pasay’s 8-for-29 (27.6-percent).
Cebu built its largest lead at 63-40 on a Mark Meneses triple and never looked back, improving to 10-3 in the elimination round.
The 6-foot-4 Meneses, a standout from the University of Luzon, finished with 19 points, including two three-pointers, along with nine rebounds and three blocks to earn Best Player of the Game honors.
Ichie Altamirano added 11 points, three assists, and two rebounds, while Hontiveros contributed 10 points and four rebounds. Simon Camacho chipped in seven points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks.
The victory enabled Cebu to move into a tie with Binan for fourth place in the South Division, trailing Batangas (10-3), Gensan (12-2), and Quezon Province (8-0).
Pasay suffered its second straight defeat and fell to 7-5 in the North Division. Brian Hilario and homegrown Nico Quinal scored 14 points apiece, while Edmund Dela Cruz posted nine points and 10 rebounds. Christian Fajarito was limited to eight points and three rebounds.
Meanwhile, Manila Batang Quiapo defeated Paranaque, 106-100, in the second game to improve to 2-11.
Alfred Sedillo led Manila with 27 points and 11 rebounds, while Joe Gomez De Liano added 23 points, four rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Redgimir Eusebio chipped in 18 points and eight rebounds.
Paranaque, which remained at the bottom of the standings with a 1-14 record, got 29 points and 10 rebounds from Domark Matillano, while Marlon Monte finished with 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
The MPBL resumes on Wednesday at the One Arena in Cainta, with Bataan facing Caloocan at 6:00 PM and Rizal taking on Quezon City at 8:00 PM.
