Led by Steve Nash Enriquez, Pasay put on a dazzling all-around showcase, blasting Manila, 126-82, in the opening game Wednesday of the MPBL 2026 Season at the Ynares Center.
All 15 Pasay players who saw action scored, with Christian Fajarito leading the way with 16 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, while Enriquez added 15 points and 5 rebounds as the Voyagers extended their winning streak to five and improved to 6-2. G
yle Montano chipped in 14 points and 6 rebounds, while Nico Quinal added 11 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals in the wire-to-wire victory.
Pasay’s hot shooting from deep—12 triples compared to Manila’s two—helped them build a commanding 68-35 halftime lead before pulling away for good, including back-to-back one-handed dunks from Fajarito that pushed the margin to 85-39 midway through the third quarter.
In the nightcap, the Basilan Steel leaned on John Wilson and Byron Villarias to edge the Rizal Xentromall Golden Coolers, 76-73, and climb back into the upper half of the standings at 5-4.
Wilson delivered seven crucial fourth-quarter points, including a clutch triple that broke a 69-all deadlock.
Rizal had one last chance to force overtime, but Joel Lee Yu was called for a travel with 1.6 seconds left, sealing the win for Basilan.
Wilson finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals, while Villarias added 13 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals.
Rizal was paced by Jolo Mendoza’s 15 points and 5 assists, along with 13 points from Yu.
Earlier, the Gensan Warriors caught fire in the third quarter to dismantle the Negros Hacienderos, 102-74, stretching their winning streak to eight in the elimination phase of the 28-team, two-division tournament.
Holding a 44-39 halftime edge, Gensan broke the game wide open behind Nelo Santos, Adi Santos and Hesed Gabo, outscoring Negros 34-16 in the third to build a 74-51 cushion.
Gabo anchored the charge with 9 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals, earning Best Player honors over Adi Santos and Nelo Santos. Nelo added 12 points, while Adi Santos also finished with 12 as Gensan improved its chase in the standings alongside Caloocan and pulled further away from Quezon Province.
Negros dropped to 0-6 despite Michael Alvarez’s 18 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists, Brandrey Bienes’ 13 points, and DJ Howe’s double-double of 9 points and 12 rebounds.
The tournament resumes at the Batangas City Coliseum on Thursday, featuring Bataan vs Mindoro at 4 p.m., Bacolod vs Parañaque at 6 p.m., and Batangas vs Marikina at 8 p.m.
