BATANGAS leaned on a scoring spree to subdue Binan, 79-72, on Tuesday at the FPJ Arena in San Jose, Batangas and rev up its drive in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season.
Trailing, 22-26, the Tanduay Rum Masters bunched 12 points to pull ahead at halftime, 34-26, and never looked back to tally its 10th win against two losses in the round-robin elimination phase of the 29-team tournament.
Levi Hernandez, who extended Batangas' tear with a triple early in the third quarter, delivered 23 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Jeckster Apinan supported him with 14 points, four rebounds plus three assists and so did Cedric Ablaza with 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
Back-to-back layups by Hernandez and Apinan and a triple by Ablaza shoved the Rum Masters ahead, 71-55, but Binan managed to close the gap at 68-74 with only 31.7 seconds left through the efforts of Roger Rocacurva, Carlo Lastimosa, and Macmac Cardona.
Binan, which fell to 6-4, got 17 points each from Lastimosa and Nino Canaleta, as well as 12 from Rocacurva, all coming in the fourth quarter.
QC charges ahead behind Golden Stags
Other games saw Quezon City nip Negros, 83-79, and Pangasinan trounce Mindoro, 81-62.
QC TODA Aksyon leaned on Paeng Are and Rhinwil Yambing to erase a 58-67 deficit early in the final frame en route to its fifth victory against seven defeats.
Are poured all of his 12 points, while Yambing chipped in eight of his team-high 23 points - highlighted by a power slam - in the last 10 minutes as Quezon City overtook the Muscovados' 4-9 slate.
Yambing also chalked nine rebounds and two steals, as Are added four rebounds and four assists for coach Egay Macaraya.
Negros crumbled despite the 27-point, 6-rebound, 4-assist effort of Renz Palma, the 17-point, 5-rebound, 2-steal output of Hubert Cani, and the 11-point, 7-rebound, 2-steal contribution of James Una.
Unlike QC, the Heatwaves breezed past the Tamaraws, leading by as far as 64-41 before cruising to an 81-62 decision.
Ralph Robin spearheaded Pangasinan to its their fourth win in 12 starts with 21 points and three rebounds, followed by Ian Melencio with 12 points, eight assists, and four rebounds, and Ed Daquiaog with 10 points.
Mindoro, which fell to 4-9, got 17 points, four assists, and three rebounds from Ken Bono and 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists from homegrown John Jerrick Caspe.
The MPBL returns to the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga on Wednesday with games pitting Bicol against Bacolod at 4 p.m., Iloilo against South Cotabato at 6 p.m., and Davao against Pampanga at 8 p.m.
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