Voyagers bag 9th straight win

Pasay continued its upward journey with a 95-89 victory over Marikina on Wednesday in the Manny Pacquiao Presents Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 2025 Season at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

With six Voyagers piling double digits, Pasay thwarted Marikina’s comeback from a 20-point hole (21-41) to notch their ninth straight win and rise to 19-8 in the North Division of the 30-team tournament,

Pasay trails Abra (24-1), San Juan (25-2) and Nueva Ecija (25-2), all of which are assured of landing in the top four in the round-robin elimination phase.

Voyagers Christian Fajarito, Marc Daniel Sangco and Jasper Salenga scored 14 points each, followed by Jopet Soriano and Damian Lasco with 12 each, and Cyrus Tabi with 10 points plus 10 assists, six rebounds and three steals.

Pasay bunched nine points, the last five by Lasco, to pull anew at 87-72 with 3:47 to go before Marikina made its final assault to bridge the gap, 87-92.

Also-ran Marikina slid to 4-23, putting to waste Do Timajo’s 23 points and six rebounds, Jethro Escoto’s 13 points, eight assists and six rebounds, and Jacob Ubaldo’s 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Rizal Xentromall fended off Muntinlupa’s tough stand to prevail, 89-84, in the second game.

The Muntinlupa Cagers were ahead, 84-83, with 43.6 seconds left, but the Golden Coolers scored the game’s last six points through Eric Camson, Marco Balagtas and Robin Julian Nayve to improve to 18-8.