Caloocan survived a late scare before edging Rizal Xentro Mall, 68–65, on Tuesday to seize the solo lead in the 2026 MPBL Season at the Ynares Center in Montalban, Rizal.
Trailing 52–58 with 5:36 remaining, Caloocan leaned on its prized recruits to escape with the victory, as Kymani Ladi, Kean Baclaan, and Dom Escobar combined to power a closing run that secured their second straight win in the elimination round of the 28-team tournament.
Ladi, a 6-foot-8 forward, delivered seven crucial points in the final stretch, teaming up with Baclaan and Escobar to flip the game in Caloocan’s favor. Baclaan steadied the team in the clutch, sinking two free throws with 12.7 seconds left to push the lead, while Escobar sealed the win from the line with 4 seconds remaining.
Rizal still had chances to force overtime. Jolo Mendoza launched a potential game-tying triple at the buzzer, but it missed. Earlier, Alwyn Alday had an opportunity to knot the score after drawing a long-range foul, but he split his free throws.
Ladi led Caloocan with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Jammer Jamito added 13 points and 2 rebounds, Baclaan finished with 11 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Escobar chipped in 8 points.
For Rizal, JP Maguliano had 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, Mark Yee added 11 points and 4 rebounds, while JP Sarao finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds.
In the opening game, Bataan fended off a late rally by Iloilo to escape with a 92–82 victory.
Iloilo made things interesting after unleashing a 16–2 blast bridging the third and fourth quarters to cut the deficit to 65–70, but Bataan responded with a decisive 13–2 run to regain control and pull away.
Robbi Darang led Bataan’s balanced attack with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, narrowly edging Hubert Cani, who tallied 15 points, 5 assists, and 2 rebounds, for best player honors.
Carl Bringas added 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Yves Sazon and Chris Javier contributed 11 and 9 points, respectively, with Javier scoring six in the fourth quarter.
Iloilo was paced by Vic Manuel (20 points, 2 assists), Jorey Napoles (17 points, 17 rebounds), and Paul Sanga (16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals).
In the second game, Bacolod outlasted Imus, 111–105, in a high-scoring battle.
Bacolod trailed 78–91 early in the fourth quarter but erupted for a 13–2 run, highlighted by 11 points from Marjun Wahing, to close in at 91–93. Imus briefly regained control at 99–91, but Bacolod answered with another surge to seize momentum and complete the comeback.
Veteran Ian Melencio powered Bacolod with 34 points, 18 assists, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals. Hance Lleva added 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals, while Emman Galman and Wahing chipped in 16 and 14 points, respectively.
Imus was led by Ralph Robin (23 points, 3 rebounds), Janjan Salazar (18 points, 11 rebounds, 5 steals), Jordan Rios (17 points), Joseph Mark Marquez (16 points, 8 rebounds), and Gian Lloyd Abrigo (12 points).
The tournament resumes Thursday at the Pasay Astrodome, featuring Cebu City Sharks against San Juan Knights at 4 p.m., Quezon City Toda Aksyon versus Biñan Tatak Gel at 6 p.m., and Parañaque Patriots battling Pasay Voyagers at 8 p.m.
