Nueva Ecija, Biñan dominate MPBL foes

Nueva Ecija flaunted its power while Biñan halted its slide in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2025 Season at the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan, Laguna.

The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards, with 14 players scoring, battered the Sarangani Grippers, 115-67, in the second game, and Biñan Tatak Gel followed suit with a 106-75 thumping of Imus Grumpy Joe in the nightcap.

The Rice Vanguards chalked up their 24th win against two losses, trailing the Abra Solid North Weavers (23-1) and towing the San Juan Knights (22-2) in the North Division and overall standing in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team, two-division tournament.

Jammer Jamito led the Rice Vanguards with 21 points and eight rebounds, followed by Will McAloney with 16 points, JP Calvo with 12 points, nine assists, three steals and two rebounds; Jaycee Marcelino with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists; and Billy Robles and Will McAloney with 10 points each.

Sarangani, which drew 11 points from Martin Gozum and 10 each from Kyt Jimenez and Ken Brillantes, tasted its third straight defeat and slid to 9-16, jeopardizing its bid to make the play-in of the South Division.

Shrugging off four straight losses, Biñan stormed ahead, 57-37, at halftime behind back-to-back triples by Ryan Sual and climbed to 14-11 in the South Division.

Jaymar Gimpayan wound up with 16 points and 10 rebounds, Michael Maestre 12 points and six rebounds, and Pamboy Raymundo 12 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals for Biñan, which joined Basilan at the sixth spot.

Imus tumbled to 9-17 despite Mark Doligon’s 25-point, four-rebound effort and Regie Boy Basibas’ 10-point contribution.

In the opener between also-rans, the Bacolod Tubo Slashers rode the hot hands of John Lemuel Pastias to rout Manila Batang Quiapo, 102-58, and improved to 4-21.

The 5-foot-11 Pastias, a former star of the STIWest Negros University Mustangs, drilled in 8 of 10 triple tries and 3-of-3 free throw attempts en route to 37 points that broke the backs of Batang Quiapo, who skidded to 3-22.

Aldave Canoy and Mark Ray Malazarte supported Pastias with 12 points each, and so did Tzady Rangel with six points plus 12 rebounds.