Rizal XentroMall caught fire from beyond the arc to rout Gensan, 96-74, on Monday and arrange a semifinal clash with Binan Tatak Gel in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at Paco Arena in Manila.
Binan trounced Mindoro, 91-77, in the first game to become the South Division’s first semifinalist.
Both Rizal and Binan swept their respective rivals, 2-0, in the quarterfinal playoffs of the two-division tournament.
While second-seeded Binan lived up to expectations against seventh-seeded Mindoro, sixth-seeded Rizal’s romp over third-seeded Gensan came as a major surprise.
The Rizal Golden Coolers overwhelmed the Warriors by sinking 14 of 27 attempts from beyond the arc for an impressive 51.9 percent conversion rate. Gensan, meanwhile, managed just eight triples on 32 attempts for a 25 percent clip.
Laurenz Victoria led Rizal’s long-range assault, converting four of five attempts from deep, while Mark Yee went a perfect three-for-three and Alwyn Alday knocked down four of 10.
Victoria, a former star of the Mapua Cardinals, finished with 18 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals to earn Best Player honors over Alday, who tallied 16 points, three assists and two rebounds.
Yee, who was ejected in the homestretch after incurring two technical fouls, contributed 10 points and four rebounds. Jolo Mendoza and AJ Coronel added nine points apiece, while Billy Robles chipped in eight, seven of which came in the third quarter as the Golden Coolers pulled away, 66-50.
The Warriors, who trailed by as many as 25 points at 66-91, drew 14 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals from MPBL All-Star Hesed Gabo. Mark Cruz added 13 points and four assists.
(C) MPBL
Powered by MVP race pacesetter Nic Cabanero’s 25 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals, Binan repeated its 78-70 conquest of Mindoro in Game One.
Cabanero, a former star of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, poured in 19 points in the second half as Binan surged ahead, 87-70, and never looked back.
Back-to-back triples by Bambam Gamalinda and Joseph Sedurifa pulled Mindoro within 65-74, but Cabanero responded with five points in a seven-point Binan run that sealed the outcome, 81-65, with three minutes and 53 seconds remaining.
Kenny Rocacurva supported Cabanero with 13 points and five rebounds, while Michael Mabulac chipped in 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Pamboy Raymundo contributed nine points, 10 assists, four rebounds and three steals, while Marc Pingris also had nine points, along with eight rebounds and two assists.
Mindoro fell despite Gamalinda’s 30 points, nine rebounds and two assists, as well as JC Recto’s 15 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Binan controlled the boards, 50-43, and capitalized on its advantage to dominate the paint, outscoring Mindoro, 58-24.
The North Division quarterfinal playoffs resume Tuesday at the Caloocan Sports Complex, with San Juan taking on Bataan at 5 p.m. and Caloocan facing Ilagan Isabela at 7 p.m.
Having won their respective series openers, the San Juan Knights and Caloocan Batang Kankaloo need only another victory to secure their places in the North Division semifinals.
