Zamboanga SiKat bested Mindoro, 68-62, to clinch a playoff slot in the South Division of the Manny Pacquiao Presents Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 2025 Season late Saturday at the Pola Gymnasium in Oriental Mindoro.

Powered by JP Cauilan and Abdul Sawat, Zamboanga pulled ahead, 59-50, and thwarted Mindoro's final assault to win the play-in encounter and advance to the quarterfinal round of the 30-team, two-division tournament.

Next up for Zamboanga in the best-of-three playoffs is No. 2 South qualifier Batangas City Tanduay Rum.

Sawat posted 17 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals for Zamboanga, which avenged its 81-79 defeat to Mindoro in the round-robin elimination phase and snapped a three-game skid ending the regular season.

Cauilan wound up with 14 points, spiked by four triples, seven rebounds and two steals for Zamboanga, which ruled the boards 48-34, and scored more in the paint, 32-18.

Alvin John Capobres and John Arthur Calisay provided support with nine and eight points, respectively.

The Tamaraws drew 16 points and 10 rebounds from Bam Gamalinda, 15 points, four rebounds and four assists from Jeco Bancale, 10 points from Ken Bono, and nine points, four assists, four rebounds and two steals from Axel Inigo.

Mindoro gunners Ino Comboy and Joseph Sedurifa, however, were held to two points each by the stifling Zamboanga defense.

The loss, which greatly disappointed Mindoro Tamaraws team owner and Pola Mayor Jennifer "Ina Alegre" Cruz, sent the Tamaraws in a do-or-die match with the Cebu Greats, conqueror of the Davao Occidental Tigers, 65-57, in the first game, at 6 p.m. on Monday at the same venue.

Ruling the boards, the Greats led the play-in game throughout and by as far as 62-49 to avenge their 59-64 loss to the Tigers in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team, two-division tournament.

Paul Desiderio posted 15 points, 11 in the fourth quarter, 6 assists and five rebounds, while Jun Manzo tallied 15 points plus three assists for Cebu.