Nueva Ecija, led by Roi Sumang and Michael Juico, defeated Batangas City Embassy Chill, 68-56, in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season at the Batangas City Coliseum on Monday.
Sumang contributed all 16 of his points in the second half as the defending champions broke a 31-31 tie at halftime, securing their 13th win against one loss in the single round-robin elimination phase of the 29-team tournament.
Juico also made significant contributions for Nueva Ecija with 10 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals, while Chris Bitoon added 10 points and 3 assists.
After Jeckster Apinan scored the first bucket of the third quarter for Batangas, Sumang sparked a 13-point run for Nueva Ecija, from which the Athletics couldn’t recover, resulting in their third loss in 14 games.
Despite a brief rally by Batangas that narrowed the gap to 49-56, Sumang sealed their fate with back-to-back triples, extending the Rice Vanguards’ lead to their largest margin of 62-49 with 4 minutes and 35 seconds remaining.
Sumang’s three triples, along with Bitoon’s two successful attempts, contributed to Nueva Ecija’s 24 points from beyond the arc, proving crucial as Batangas managed to convert only 1 of their 20 three-point attempts.
For Batangas, Jeckster Apinan recorded 14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists, and Juneric Baloria contributed 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals.
The Nueva Ecija-Batangas game experienced a delay of approximately 30 minutes due to roof leaks caused by heavy rain, but it resumed after the downpour ceased.
In an earlier match, Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines dominated Bataan, 74-55, improving their record to 11-3.
Judel Fuentes, Jaycee Marcelino, Jayvee Marcelino, and Dexter Maiquez led the offensive charge, while new addition Joseph Gabayni excelled underneath the basket.
Zamboanga took an early lead and never looked back, while Bataan fell to 6-9.
Fuentes scored a game-high 19 points, followed by Jaycee with 16 points and 7 assists, Jayvee with 13 points, and Maiquez with 11 points and 9 rebounds.
Gabayni contributed 7 points and 11 rebounds, giving Zamboanga a 49-36 advantage in total rebounds.
In the opener, the GenSan Warriors narrowly defeated the Iloilo United Royals, 86-84, with John Wilson leading the way with 19 points, including 5 three-pointers.
Despite Theo Flores’ impressive 25-point performance, Iloilo suffered their fifth consecutive defeat, dropping to 5-10.
The MPBL will continue with a triple-header at the FilOil Ecooil Centre in San Juan on Tuesday, featuring Valenzuela against Bicol at 4 p.m., Pampanga against Rizal at 6 p.m., and Imus against San Juan at 8 p.m.
