Zamboanga Master Sardines quelled Bataan’s final rallies to prevail, 79-72, and stay close to the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Sixth Season elimination round pacesetters on Monday at the Orion Sports Center in Bataan.

Ahead nearly all the way, the Zamboangueños briefly yielded the lead, 60-62, as the Risers greeted the fourth quarter with an eight-point cluster.

After three deadlocks, Zamboanga strung six points behind Joseph Gabayni’s back-to-back layups and John Mahari’s two charities to regain control, 72-66, entering the last two minutes.

Bataan’s Ronjay Lastimosa canned a triple with 1:47 to go, but Zamboanga held the fort and proceeded to tally its ninth win against two losses by making seven straight charities, the last six by Enzo Subido, against a triple by Yves Sazon.

Exploiting his burly 6-foot-5 frame, Gabayni finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks to earn Best Player honors.

Former MPBL Most Valuable Player Jaycee Marcelino provided support with 11 points, seven rebounds and four steals, followed by Subido with 11 points and Ady Santos with nine points and 11 rebounds.

Bataan, which tasted its fifth straight defeat for a 3-8 slate got 21 points and seven rebounds from Mitchelle Maynes and 12 points, two rebounds and two assists from Lastimosa.

Quezon Province (9-0), San Juan (8-0), Nueva Ecija (8-0) and Pampanga (8-1) are the only teams in front of Zamboanga in the 29-team field.

Earlier games saw Muntinlupa subdue Bicolandia, 60-55, and Abra pound undermanned Bacolod, 115-64.

The Muntinlupa Cagers banked on Alfred Reyes and Joshua Guiab to thwart the Oragons’ repeated assaults and improve to 3-8.

Flores posted 14 points, three assists and two steals while Guiab tallied 12 points and eight rebounds for Muntinlupa, which was unable to pull away and led by 26-35 at the most.

Bicolandia, which drew 12 points, six rebounds and steals from Ralph Jeffrey Deles, absorbed its 11th straight loss and hogged the cellar with Imus Agimat.

Pitted against the lowly Bacolenos, the Abra Weavers drew points from all 15 players to drub their six-man rivals for their third straight win and a 6-5 card.

Wendelino Comboy led Abra to the coast-to-coast victory with 23 points, spiced by seven triples out of eight attempts. John Lloyd Clemente also delivered for the Weavers with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists and so did Jeepy Faundo with 12 points and 11 rebounds.