Rizal Xentromall continued its climb up the OKbet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 4th Season Presented by Xtreme leaderboard with a 71-67 conquest of Muntinlupa on Friday at the Laguna Sports Complex.
It was the third straight win for the Golden Coolers, who raised their record to 6-3 in the single round-robin elimination phase of the 22-team tournament split into the North and South divisions.
Jolo Mendoza presided over Rizal's offense once again, firing 19 points, including 5 triples, while Laurenz Paul Victoria provided the clutch points to check Muntinlupa's final assault.
Victoria wound up with 16 points, including 4 in a decisive 9-0 run in the fourth quarter, to go with 7 rebounds and 6 assists.
The game was tight, 59-60, until Victoria, Brandrey Bienes and Mendoza conspired in that final salvo that pushed Rizal further ahead, 69-58, with 3 minutes and 10 seconds to go.
Victoria wound up with 16 points and Bienes 11 points plus 4 rebounds.
Muntinlupa dropped to 2-4 despite the 21-point, 7-rebound, 5-assist effort of Domark Matillano, the 15-point, 9-rebound output of Ivan Villanueva, the 10-point, 12-rebound line of Coy Alves and the 10-point, 9-rebound, 6-assist contribution of Harold Arboleda.
The MPBL goes to the Caloocan Sports Complex on Saturday with a triple-bill pitting Mindoro against Pampanga at 5 p.m., Nueva Ecija against Bataan at 7 p.m. and GenSan against Caloocan at 9 p.m.
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