Valenzuela and Negros subdued separate opponents in the sixth season of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) on Monday at the Olivarez College Gymnasium in Paranaque City.
The Valenzuela Classics bested the Sarangani Marlins, 73-64, while the Negros Muscovados thwarted the Rizal Xentromall Golden Coolers, 103-94, to rev up their drive in the round-robin elimination phase of the 29-team tournament.
With veteran JR Quinahan at the helm, Valenzuela surged ahead, 79-61, and was never threatened en route to its third straight to improve to 10-8.
Quinahan wound up with 20 points and nine rebounds, followed by Carl Bryan Lacap’s 12 points and three blocks and Reeve Ugsang’s 11 points.
The Marlins, who dropped to 4-10, got 17 points and five assists from Ryan Isaac Sual, 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists from Marvin Hayes, and 10 points from Coy Alves.
Powered by Jan Formento and Jonjon Gabriel, Negros led the entire game and by as many as 25, 48-23, in posting its third straight win for a 7-10 card.
Formento top scored with 28 points, 18 in the second quarter, while the 6-foot-6 Gabriel posted 23 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
Rizal fell to 9-8 despite the 37-point, five-rebound, five-assist explosion of Alwyn Alday, and a monster double-double from John Apacible, who finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds.
The MPBL returns to the Caloocan Sports Complex on Tuesday with games pitting Manila against Muntinlupa at 4 p.m., Quezon Province against Quezon City at 6 p.m., and Pampanga against Caloocan at 8 p.m.
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