Quezon Province, General Santos City, and Zamboanga SIKAT claimed victories on Monday to create a six-way tie for the lead in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1XBet-MPBL 2025 Season at the Bataan People’s Center in Balanga City.
The Quezon Huskers showcased their defensive prowess in a 58-45 triumph over the Cebu Classic, the GenSan Warriors edged the Bataan Risers, 77-74, while Zamboanga dominated the boards to overpower Sarangani, 82-67, in the round-robin elimination round of the 30-team tournament.
Quezon, GenSan, and Zamboanga improved to 2-0, joining early leaders Abra, Pangasinan, and Abra at the top of the standings.
The Huskers’ defensive efforts limited Cebu to just 30 points through three quarters before L-Jay Gonzales’ 10-point explosion in the final period sealed the win.
Gonzales finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals to earn best player honors, surpassing Jason Opiso’s 13 points and seven rebounds for Quezon. Vince Magbuhos contributed 10 points and seven rebounds for the Huskers.
On the other hand, Darell Manliguez led Cebu with 10 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while Lean Vincent Martel chipped in nine points and four boards. Ladis Lepalam added six points and nine rebounds for Cebu, which trailed by as much as 58-41.
The GenSan-Bataan clash turned into a nail-biter after the Risers rallied from a 61-71 deficit with 6:15 remaining.
A three-pointer by Yves Sazon brought Bataan within one point, 71-72, but Mark Cruz split his free throws, and Joel Lee Yu drove in to secure the win with just 3.9 seconds left. Although Hubert Cani sank a last-second triple for GenSan, Marwin Dionisio iced the game with two free throws.
GenSan’s Aaron Jeruta earned best player honors with 10 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and a steal, outshining Cruz (12 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal), Joel Lee Yu (11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal), and Larry Rodriguez (10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal).
Bataan, now at 0-2, was led by Sazon’s 12 points, three rebounds, and two steals, alongside Mark Bringas’ 10 points and eight rebounds. Cani added 10 points, three steals, and two assists.
Poor free throw shooting plagued the Risers, converting just 16-of-32 attempts for a dismal 50% rate.
Meanwhile, Zamboanga’s dominance in the paint, powered by John Edcel Rojas, James Una, Paul Turcu, and Abdul Sawat, proved decisive.
Zamboanga ruled the rebounding battle, 57-41, and translated that into a commanding 50-26 advantage in points inside the paint.
Turcu delivered 15 points and nine rebounds to claim best player honors, followed by Sawat with 14 points and eight rebounds. Rojas added 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Una contributed 13 points and 11 boards.
The game remained tight at halftime, 39-38, until Ichie Altamirano sparked a 14-4 Zamboanga surge that buried Sarangani for good.
Despite Martin Gozum’s valiant effort of 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists, Sarangani fell to 0-3.
The Grippers also received contributions from Arvie Bringas (13 points), Rev Diputado (11 points), and Larce Sunga (10 points).
MPBL Founder and CEO Manny Pacquiao attended the games, handing out T-shirts to the enthusiastic crowd at the Bataan People’s Center.
The MPBL continues on Tuesday at the Caloocan Sports Complex, featuring Batangas against Imus at 4 p.m., Pampanga versus Marikina at 6 p.m., and Caloocan taking on Mindoro at 8 p.m.
The defending champion Pampanga Giant Lanterns aim for their second straight win, while the Batangas City Tanduay Rhum Masters look to bounce back after their 70-46 home loss to Quezon on March 12.
