Manila boosts drive for fourth spot

Playoffs-bound Manila SV Batang Sampaloc clobbered Bacolod, 123-76, and boosted their bid for the fourth spot in the North Division of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Sixth Season at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila.

With 14 players scoring, the Manila Stars cruised to their 18th win against eight losses and moved beyond reach of the Pasay Voyagers (17-10) in the round-robin elimination phase of the 29-team tournament.

However, Caloocan (15-9) can still dislodge Manila if the Batang Kankaloo sweep their four remaining games and the Stars drop their last two assignments.

In case Manila, Pasay and Caloocan wound up with similar 18-9 slates, the Stars would advance as they have beaten both the Voyagers (90-87) and the Batang Kankaloo (69-66) in their elimination round encounters.

Exploiting his seven-foot frame, Greg Slaughter posted 21 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in just 19 minutes and 42 seconds of play to earn the Daily Fantasy best player honors over 6-foot-7 Rabeh Al-Hussaini with 17 points and six rebounds.

James Tempra, Carl Bryan Cruz and Jorey Napoles contributed 10 points each for Manila, which drew seven points, nine assists, four rebounds and two assists from Enzo Navarro.

The top four qualifiers will have the homecourt edge in the best-of-three division playoffs.

Bacolod, which showed up with only eight players, tumbled to a league-worst 1-26 card.

Nueva Ecija rallied to beat Abra, 81-78, and rise to 23-3.

Trailing, 57-67, the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards greeted the fourth quarter with a 13-1 tear to wrest control, then banked on Billy Robles and John Wilson to thwart the Weavers.

Robles drilled in a triple and a short jumper while Wilson canned two charities with 8.5 seconds left against four points by the Weavers for the final count.

It was Robby Celiz, however, who was chosen best player with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists for Nueva Ecija, which trails only San Juan (25-1) and Pampanga (26-2) in the North Division.

Will McAloney supported Celiz with 13 points while Wilson and Robles chipped in 10 points each.

Abra fell to 15-10 despite Alfred Ryan Batino’s 17-point, 12-rebound effort and Wendelino Comboy’s 15 points.