Cauilan catches fire, powers QC

Quezon City TODA Aksyon banked on JP Cauilan to subdue Valenzuela, 73-67, and muddle up the playoff race in the North Division of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Sixth Season on Thursday at the Paco Arena in Manila.

Cauilan poured 20 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, surpassing Valenzuela’s 17 points total, and enabling the QC Capitals to tie the Classics at 11-13 in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 29-team tournament.

QC and Valenzuela are disputing the North’s remaining four playoff spots with Abra (15-7), Pasay (15-9), Caloocan (13-8) and Rizal (13-12).

Defending champion Pampanga (23-1), 2019 titlist San Juan (22-1), 2022 winner Nueva Ecija (19-3) and Manila (17-8) are sure to advance to the eight-team playoffs, where the top four qualifiers will have the homecourt advantage.

The 6-foot-4 Cauilan, former star of the National University Bulldogs, wound up with 31 points, spiked by seven triples, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block to clinch the Daily Fantasy best player honors over Abdul Sawat with 16 points and nine rebounds.

The Classics were still ahead, 65-59, with 4:15 left following back-to-back triples and a step back jumper by Dennis Santos, but the Capitals held them to just two points while coming through with 14, nine by Cauilan, to snatch the win.

Valenzuela, which has won only once in its last six outings, got 16 points from Mark Montuano and 15 points plus six rebounds from Santos.

Earlier games saw Mindoro subdue Muntinlupa, 79-76, and Pangasinan trounce Iloilo, 100-78.

Powered by JJ Caspe’s 26 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two steals and Jayvee dela Cruz’s 22 points and four assists, the Mindoro Tamaraws rallied from a 16-33 deficit to climb to 9-16.

Muntinlupa, which tumbled to 7-18, got 14 points from Jacob Galicia and 10 each from Dave Moralde, Alfred Flores and Warlo James Batac.

The Pangasinan Heatwaves, with Ralph Robin and Michael Juico firing 22 points each, led throughout and by as far as 75-100 in rising to 10-15. They were supported by Nathaniel Cosejo with 16 points.

Iloilo dropped to 8-16 as only Omar Larupay and JR Ongteco fired back with 13 and 12 points, respectively.