The Abra Solid North Weavers caught fire in the second half to defeat the Gensan Warriors, 107-94, on Wednesday and continue their climb in the MPBL 2026 Season at the San Jose Del Monte Sports Complex in Bulacan.
Showing why they are the defending champions, the Weavers pulled away late and built a commanding 107-84 lead before cruising to their sixth straight victory. The win improved Abra’s record to 8-1 in the round-robin elimination phase of the 28-team tournament.
DJ Fenner and Jake Figueroa spearheaded Abra’s turnaround from a 45-46 halftime deficit, combining for 16 points in the third quarter as the Weavers seized an 81-65 advantage heading into the final period.
Gensan, whose 10-game winning streak came to an end, trimmed the deficit to 86-76 behind JM Versoza and Hesed Gabo. However, Abra responded with a decisive 21-8 run led by Figueroa, Shaun Ildefonso, and Raven Gonzales to put the game out of reach.
The Warriors managed to score the game’s final 10 points, highlighted by a triple from Kris Porter and seven consecutive points from Mark Cruz.
Fenner, the 6-foot-6 former University of Nevada Las Vegas standout, finished with 21 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
Figueroa, a former National University Bulldog with experience in the Korean Basketball League, earned Best Player honors after posting 19 points, six assists, four rebounds, and four steals.
Ildefonso added 15 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, along with four rebounds and four assists. Gonzales chipped in 11 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, while Encho Serrano contributed 11 points and two assists.
(C) MPBL
Gensan, which dropped to third place behind Caloocan (10-0) and Quezon Province (8-0), was led by Gabo’s 18 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals. Anton Eusebio and Cruz each scored 14 points, while Versoza added 14 points and Joshua Fontanilla contributed 11.
In the opener, the Ilagan Isabela Cowboys snapped a four-game losing streak with a 100-84 victory over Pasig City to improve to 6-5 and move back into the upper half of the standings.
Holding a slim 78-74 lead, the Cowboys buried three crucial triples — one by Jayboy Solis and two by Kyle Paranada — to break the game open.
Solis earned Best Player honors after tallying 20 points, including 15 in the second half, along with 12 rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Paranada added 17 points, all scored after halftime.
Arth Dela Cruz contributed 16 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists, while Allen Mina also scored 16 points. Donald Gumaru chipped in 12 markers.
The Cowboys led 23-17 after the first quarter, but Pasig surged ahead at halftime, 46-37, behind three triples from Mark Maloles and two from Jerome Garcia.
Back-to-back triples by Gumaru and another from Mina helped Ilagan regain the lead at 52-51. The Cowboys then extended their advantage to 73-62 following a triple by Mina and a fastbreak layup by Paranada.
Pasig fell to 5-2 despite 19 points, eight rebounds, and two assists from Jacob Galicia. Maloles added 18 points and five assists, while Garcia finished with 17 points and three rebounds.
In the nightcap, the Negros Hacienderos finally entered the win column, defeating Manila Batang Quiapo, 109-103, for their first victory after seven straight losses.
Carl Joshua Alattica powered Negros with 24 points, 16 rebounds, and three assists. Wilson Baltazar added 19 points and five rebounds, while Reymar Caduyac contributed 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two blocks.
DJ Howe chipped in 13 points, eight rebounds, and two steals, while Yuan Pasumbal and Michael Alvarez added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The MPBL returns to the Pasay Astrodome on Thursday with Bacolod facing Rizal at 4 p.m., Valenzuela taking on Cebu at 6 p.m., and Caloocan battling Pasay at 8 p.m.
