BATAAN trounced Pasig City, 99-78, in their play-in game on Thursday to keep its MPBL 2025 playoff hopes alive at the Robert B. Estrella Sr. Memorial Gymnasium in Rosales, Pangasinan.
With Yves Sazon finding his range, the Risers led by as many as 94-67 in avenging their 85-88 defeat to the Pasiguenos in the round-robin elimination phase on May 14.
Sazon drilled in six triples en route to 20 points, followed by Chris Javier with 13 points and nine rebounds, Robbi Darang with 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists, Hubert Cani with 12 points and six assists, and Lorenz Capulong with 11 points plus four rebounds.
Pasig, which bowed out of the playoff race, drew 21 points and 12 rebounds from Jacob Galicia,
Powered by Javier and Cani, the Rizers surged ahead, 51-30, from which the Pasiguenos couldn't recover.
Javier canned a triple and Jeb Bulawan completed a 3-point play as Bataan foiled Pasig's rally and took a 71-49, with a minute and 29 seconds left in the third quarter.
Bataan will next face the loser between Pangasinan and Ilagan Isabela for the eighth and last playoff berth in the North.
The MPBL heads to the Pola Gymnasium in Oriental Mindoro on Thursday for the South Division play-in games, featuring Cebu vs. Davao at 4 p.m. and Mindoro vs. Zamboanga at 6 p.m.
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