BATANGAS City and Abra drubbed their opponents on Saturday and remained within sight of the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season pacesetters at the jampacked Pola Gymnasium in Oriental Mindoro.
Banking on their outside gunners, the Tanduay Rum Masters cruised past Bicolandia, 107-94, in the opener before the Weavers hammered out an 89-57 victory over Bulacan, 89-57.
Philip Paniamogan hit five triples and MJ Dela Virgen added four as Batangas pooled 17 triples that propelled them to a 12-4 record in the round-robin eliminations of the 29-team tournament.
Filling in for missing top gun Levi Hernandez, Paniamogan wound up with 25 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and three assists, as Dela Virgen finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists.
Mark Niel Cruz also posted 13 points and seven rebounds, while Cedric Ablaza contributed 10 points and five rebounds for the Rum Masters, who trail unbeaten Quezon (14-0), Pampanga (15-1), San Juan (13-1), Nueva Ecija (12-2), and Zamboanga (12-3) in the playoff race.
The Oragons slumped to 2-15 despite six players, led by Lord Casajeros, scoring in double-figures. Casajeros fired 20 points, Cyrill Llarena 16, Shaq Alanes 11, and Charles Burgos, Justine Christopher Alfonso, and John Edcel Rojas 10 each.
Abra cadabra to the win
Abra took an even easier path to a 10-6 card.
Led by Wendell Comboy, the Weavers zoomed beyond reach at 83-47 before easing down on the Kuyas, who dropped to 2-15.
Comboy fired 21 points, followed by Jun Manzo with 12 points, six assists, and four rebounds, Joseph Sedurifa with 10 points plus four rebounds, and veteran Mark Yee with nine points and 10 rebounds that helped Abra rule the boards, 51-31, and frolic on fastbreaks, 21-2, as well as second chance points, 19-5.
Bulacan got 17 points and five rebounds from Aaron Benedicto and 10 points plus eight rebounds from Khen Osicos.
Meanwhile, home team Mindoro bucked a sluggish start before routing Imus, 82-68
Homegrown Jhon Jerrick Caspe, acquisition Jethro Sombero, and veteran Teytey Teodoro shoved the Tamaraws to a 5-12 slate and handed the Agimat their 17th straight defeat.
Caspe posted 14 points, nine assists, three rebounds, and two steals; Sombero notched 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists; while Teodoro chalked 11 points, three rebounds, and three steals.
Imus drew 14 points each from Nemesis Dela Cruz and Carlo De Chavez and 11 from Orin Catacutan.
Pola mayor Jennifer "Ina" Alegre-Cruz, owner of the Mindoro Tamaraws, led her constituents in welcoming the five visiting teams, as well as MPBL officials and personnel.
The MPBL returns to the Olivarez College Gymnasium on Monday with games pitting Valenzuela against Sarangani at 4 p.m., Rizal against Negros at 6 p.m., and Davao Occidental against Paranaque at 8 p.m.
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