Cowboys sink Marlins; Iloilo shines

The Ilagan Isabela Cowboys sustained their climb with a 102-75 victory over the Sarangani Marlins in the SportsPlus Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 2026 Season at the Baliwag Star Arena in Bulacan on Wednesday.

With five players hitting double figures, the Cowboys surged beyond reach, 100-66, before coasting to their third straight win after an initial loss in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 28-team tournament.

Cowboy Joseph Gabayni tallied 16 points and nine rebounds and was chosen the SportsPlus Best Player, followed by JP Cauilan with 14 points, spiked by four triples, and two rebounds, Art dela Cruz with 13 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals, and Joshua Guiab with 10 points and six rebounds.

Dominant off the boards, 60-36, the Cowboys poured in 68 points in the paint against the Marlins’ 28.

Sarangani, which fell to 1-3, got 12 points and 13 rebounds from King Destacamento, 13 points from Charles Callano, and 10 points from John Carlos Escalambre.

The Iloilo United Royals averted a major collapse and beat Manila Batang Quiapo, 101-96, in the opener, while Imus Yangkee leaned on a Jordan Rios tip-in with 4 seconds left to nip Bulacan, 86-85, in the nightcap.

After Janjan Salazar missed a jumper, Rios soared for the decider that leveled Imus’ record to 2-2 and pulled Bulacan down to 1-3.

Ralph Robin shone for Imus with 21 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals, and so did homegrown Eroll Soriano with 19 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, and homegrown Ghed Ong with 10 points.

Imus erased a 65-75 deficit and led at 82-80 following a triple by Airohn Acop and again at 85-84 after a triple by Kenneth Castillo with 11.1 seconds to go.

Acop tallied 22 points, five assists, four steals and three rebounds, followed by Benedict Benedictos with 21 points and six rebounds, and Mart James Barrera with 16 points, two rebounds and two steals.

Way ahead, 72-50, Iloilo turned cold in the fourth quarter, allowing Manila to seize control at 93-92 with 2:14 to go.

Kyt Jimenez and Levi Hernandez, however, combined for nine points in the homestretch to preserve the United Royals’ victory.

Hernandez posted 36 points, four rebounds and two assists to clinch the SportsPlus Best Player honors over Jimenez, with 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.