Rizal completes MPBL playoff cast

Rizal Xentromall completed the playoffs with an 88-73 drubbing of Marikina in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Sixth Season elimination round on Tuesday at the Paco Arena in Manila.

The Golden Coolers posted their 15th win against 13 losses and dislodged the Quezon City TODA Aksyon Capitals at the eighth and last quarterfinal slot in the North Division of the 29-team tournament.

Although Quezon City toted a similar 15-13 card, Rizal advanced after it prevailed in their round-robin elimination encounter, 71-59.

Marco Balagtas paced five Golden Coolers with 19 points, five assists and four rebounds, followed by John Apacible with 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Kraniel Villoria tallied 13 points, Valandre Chauca 12 and Alwyn Alday 10.

Marikina (7-21) got 24 points, five assists and four rebounds from Ahron Estacio.

Rizal will be pitted against San Juan (26-2), the top North qualifier and best overall finisher, in a best-of-three series starting on 5 October.

The other qualifiers that will enjoy the homecourt edge like San Juan are No. 2 Pampanga (26-2), No. 3 Nueva Ecija (24-4) and No. 4 Manila SV Batang Sampaloc (20-8), which subdued also-ran Pangasinan (12-16), 82-77, in the nightcap.

Manila, missing seven-footer Greg Slaughter, leaned on Jorey Napoles’ 12 points and 11 rebounds, Jan Jamon’s 12 points and five rebounds, James Sena’s 10 points and five rebounds and Joshua Torralba’s 10 points and seven rebounds to turn back Pangasinan.