Soaring Voyagers bag 5th straight win

Pasay tripped Quezon City, 87-74, and continued its climb in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2025 Season at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay late Thursday.

Powered by Christian Fajarito and Marc Daniel Sangco, the Voyagers tallied their fifth straight win and improved their record to 15-8 in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team, two-division tournament.

The 6-foot-6 Fajarito, a former Letran College star, posted 16 points, five rebounds and two assists to clinch the Best Player honors over the 6-foot-5 Sangco, who notched 14 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.

Jasper Salegna provided support with 13 points and four rebounds, and so did Joshua Gallano with eight points plus two rebounds.

Quezon City tumbled to 6-16 despite homegrown Nino Ibanez’s 18 points, spiked by five triples, three rebounds and two assists, and JK Casino’s 12 points plus two rebounds.

The Pangasinan Heatwaves torched the Parañaque Patriots, 135-76, in the opener and likewise stretched their winning run to five for a 15-6 card.

Pangasinan caught up with reigning back-to-back titlist Pampanga at the fourth spot in the North Division, trailing Nueva Ecija, Abra and San Juan, all with 20-1 slates.

Joshua Fontanilla led Pangasinan with 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists; followed by Michael DiGregorio with 20 points, eight rebounds and two assists; Ally Bulanadi with 15 points and two rebounds, JP Maguilano with 14 points, spiked by three triples, eight rebounds and four assists, and Michael Mabulac with 13 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.

Aside from ruling the boards, 69-31, the Heatwaves shot well from the field, 55 of 98 for 56.1 percent, and played more cohesively with 43 assists against the Patriots’ 25.