ZAMBOANGA Master Sardines and Batangas City Tanduay scored contrasting wins in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season on Wednesday at the Batangas City Coliseum.
The Zamboanguenos banked on top gun Jaycee Marcelino to edge out Davao Occidental, 67-65, while the Rum Masters surged ahead early and proceeded to tally a 91-82 victory vs. South Cotabato in a triple-bill that also featured Negros tripping Muntinlupa, 80-77.
Marcelino, the 2022 MPBL MVP, bunched 11 points in the fourth quarter to silence the Tigers' final roar and lift Master Sardines to a 17-6 record in the round-robin eliminations of the two-division, 29-team tournament.
A stepback jumper by Marcelino with under two minutes left gave Zamboanga a 66-59 lead. Chris Lalata fired four points and Kenneth Ighalo added two to then push Davao within 65-66 with 12.8 seconds to go.
Sent to the line, Master Sardines' Bong Galanza made the first, but bungled the second before the Tigers' Mac Tallo missed a triple that could have reversed the outcome with 2.7 seconds left.
Marcelino wound up with 24 points, six rebounds, and four steals, as Galanza finished with eight points and Renzo Subido and Jayson Castro Apolonio added seven each for Zamboanga.
Davao, which tumbled to 15-9, got 15 points, five rebounds, and two steals from Tallo, 12 from Lalata, and 11 from Ighalo.
Batangas, Negros gain steam
Batangas City, for its part, pulled away, 42-23, in the second quarter en route to its third straight win and a 17-7 slate.
Juneric Baloria posted 21 points, Cedric Ablaza chalked 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks, Levi Hernandez notched 17 points, and Jeckster Apinan contributed 12 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals for the home team and 2018 MPBL inaugural champion.
The Warriors, who dropped to 15-9, got 20 points from Val Acuna and 12 apiece from Jammer Jamito, Nico Elorde, and JP Calvo.
Negros, on the other hand, was led by Felipe Chavez to rise to 12-13 and boost its bid for the eighth and last playoff spot in the South Division.
Chavez made 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists, followed by Samuel Peralta with 18 points and seven rebounds and Jan Formento with 14 points and four assists.
The also-ran Cagers (7-17) drew 17 points from Warlo James Batac, 11 each from Makoy Marcos and Joshua Ramirez, and 10 from Jacob Galicia.
The MPBL goes to the Bataan People's Center in Balanga on Thursday with games pitting Bicolandia against Manila at 4 p.m., Iloilo against Rizal at 6 p.m., and Pangasinan against Bataan at 8 p.m.
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