Bataan catches fire, torches Quezon City

THE Bataan Risers caught fire from three-point range to overpower the Quezon City Black Bulls in the MPBL 2026, snapping their skid behind a standout performance from Yves Sazon.
The Bataan Risers struck from long range in the fourth quarter and subdued the Quezon City Black Bulls, 103-86, to regain traction in the SportsPlus Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 2026 Season at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City on Wednesday.
Robbi Darang, Chito Jaime and Hubert Cani drilled in two triples each, while Yves Sazon added one as Bataan raised its record to 6-7 in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 28-team tournament.
Sazon wound up with 22 points, five assists and four rebounds to clinch the SportsPlus Best Player honors over Cani, who finished with 20 points and two rebounds.
Other Risers who delivered were Alfred Flores, with 15 points, four rebounds and three assists, Chris Javier, with 10 points and six rebounds, and Darang, with 10 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Ahead, 73-68, the Risers pulled away with a 21-6 run that started and ended with triples by Jaime.
Quezon City moved to within 80-95, only to be met by Cani’s back-to-back triples and a Sazon jumper against two charities by Kenz Diokno to seal the outcome, 103-82, with 1:15 left.
Overall, the Risers canned 17 of 39 triples for 51 points and a 43.6 percent conversion rate, against the Black Bulls’ 6 of 25 for 18 points and 24 percent.
The Black Bulls tumbled to 7-7 despite Jessie Sumoda’s 16 points and six rebounds, Jake Agoncillo’s 13 points, 11 rebounds and two assists, MJ Joson’s 13 points, six rebounds and three assists, and Kobe Monje’s 11 points and six rebounds.
