Caloocan rallies, dominates Imus
JASON Strait muscles his way to an 18-point performance to lead the Marikina Shoemasters to a 107-100 win over the Bacolod Masskaras in the MPBL 2026 season on Monday.
Photograph courtesy of MPBL
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JASON Strait muscles his way to an 18-point performance to lead the Marikina Shoemasters to a 107-100 win over the Bacolod Masskaras in the MPBL 2026 season on Monday.
Photograph courtesy of MPBL
Caloocan Batang Kankaloo went full throttle in the fourth quarter and routed Imus Yangkee, 122-90, in the SportsPlus Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 2026 Season on Tuesday at the One Arena Cainta in Rizal Province.
Ahead by 12, the Batang Kankaloo bundled 20 points to move beyond reach, 115-83, and raised their record to 15-2 in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 27-team tournament.
Caloocan trails defending champion Abra Solid North (14-1) and San Juan (13-1) in the race for the top four playoff spots in the North division.
The Batang Kankaloo started cold, trailing the Yangkee, 18-21, after the first quarter, but Kean Baclaan hit his stride in the second with 15 points and gave Caloocan control at halftime, 53-42.
Baclaan, former spark plug of the De La Salle Green Archers, finished with 21 points, five assists and three rebounds and ran away with the SportsPlus Best Player honors over former Ateneo Blue Eagles star Kymani Ladi, with 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
“We really need to raise our level (of play) as there are tough games ahead,” said Baclaan, referring to Caloocan’s next game against Cebu on Thursday at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan.
Dom Escobar backed them with 11 points, three rebounds and three assists; Jammer Jamito, with 10 points and five rebounds, and Ronnie Matias, with six points and 19 rebounds.
Imus stumbled to 2-15 despite Janjan Salazar’s 28 points, five steals, three rebounds and three assists, and Jaypee Belencion’s 20 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Meanwhile, Warlo Batac drove in before the final buzzer to lift Pasig City past Valenzuela City, 102-100, in the second game.
Reprising his game-clinching drive against Mindoro on 6 July, Batac spun and soared for the marginal basket with 0.16 seconds left that boosted Pasig’s slate to 9-6.
Batac tallied 21 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two steals for the Best Player honors over Jacob Galicia, with 20 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks, and Jerome Garcia, with 23 points, four rebounds and two assists.
JR Raflores contributed 15 points and two rebounds, and John Felix Corpuz 10 points, five rebounds and two assists in Pasig’s climb from an 87-95 hole with 4.4 seconds to go.
