Zambo, Batangas down MPBL rivals

Zamboanga Master Sardines and Batangas City Tanduay notched contrasting wins in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Sixth Season on Wednesday at the Batangas City Coliseum.

The Zamboangueños banked on top gun Jaycee Marcelino to subdue the Davao Occidental Tigers, 67-65, in the second game while the Batangas Rum Masters surged ahead early and proceeded to tally a 91-82 victory over the South Cotabato Warriors in the nightcap of a triple bill.

Negros tripped Muntinlupa, 80-77, in the opener.

Marcelino, the 2022 MPBL Most Valuable Player, bunched 11 points in the fourth quarter to repel Davao’s final charge and lift Zamboanga to a 17-6 record in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 29-team tournament.

A step-back jumper by Marcelino with 1:49 left gave Zamboanga a 66-59 lead. Chris Lalata fired four points and Kenneth Ighalo added two to push Davao within 65-66 with 12.8 seconds left.

Zamboanga’s Pedrito Galanza made the first but bungled the second of his charities with 8.7 seconds to go in what turned out to be the game’s final point as Davao’s Mark 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 to clinch the Daily Fantasy best player honors. Galanza finished with eight points while 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 Mark Tallo, 12 from Lalata and 11 from Ighalo.

While Zamboanga was tested to the hilt, Batangas 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 Batangas, the 2018 MPBL inaugural champion.