CALOOCAN’s hometown squad performed welcoming committee duties well as the Batang Kankaloo opened the 2026 MPBL season with a rousing 89-63 victory over Quezon City at the Caloocan Sports Complex,
Caloocan controlled the wheel for the entire 40 minutes, with holdover guard Jeff Manday leading in scoring with 14 points and eight rebounds on a 3-of-4 clip from beyond the arc.
Kymani Ladi also flourished in the starting lineup, putting up a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds to go along with three steals, but the most notable improvement for the squad is the free-flowing offense, as they totaled 29 assists for the entire game.
“Even on our first practice, I emphasized that it's not gonna be a one man show,” coach Jerson Cabiltes said. “Everybody's gonna shine. Kung sino yung suwerte on that game, so we'll go to him.”
“It's gonna be harder to defend us pag ganoon yung mangyayari. If we're not relying on one player.”
Everyone set the table for the Batang Kankaloo, with Manday, Ladi, and his fellow newcomer from the UAAP Kean Baclaan dishing five dimes apiece.
And though the fans being treated to a first-hand preview of the retooled squad, the former Pangasinan head coach admitted to jitters and a little bit of shortage on preparation in spite of their emphatic win.
“We committed a lot of fouls especially in the first quarter. Nakita natin doon yung jitters. But we adjusted to the fouls of the refs. And I'm happy for the support of the crowd kanina. Every game, ganon na gagawin namin. We're gonna play as hard as we can para sa taga-Caloocan," said Cabiltes.
Patrick Buena led the charge for Quezon City with his 19 points, which backcourt partner Clark Deringe closely followed with 13 markers and six boards.
No hero ball here
Boldly renouncing a ‘one-man show’ style of play is quite the challenge for Cabiltes, especially with his team featuring plenty of newcomers who were first-option level players in the collegiate scene like Baclaan, Ladi, and Dom Escobar.
But according to the Manila-based shotcaller, imposing his coaching principles was one of his first priorities when he signed on to the team in early March this year.
“Yeah, they're still gonna adjust on my system. We emphasize trust, we emphasize teamwork. Once you buy into the system, it's gonna be for the better of the team.”
“We gotta establish our individual defense first. And offense is gonna be sharing the ball and not too much isolation for one thing. I emphasize that the ball should be moving and we should keep on running."
“I can see the intensity and the tenacity on defense by the boys. Every group, every player delivered, everybody played their role. Still we need to work on a lot of things.”
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