Caloocan silenced Bataan in the third quarter en route to a 60-52 victory on Friday in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season elimination round at the Caloocan Sports Complex.
Mindoro shared the spotlight when it squeaked past Manila SV Batang Sampaloc, 78-77, behind three free throws by Jayvee dela Cruz with 1.1 seconds left.
The Batang Kankaloo held the Bataan Risers to four points in that span while coming through with 26 to seize control, 51-34, and tally their 11th win against seven losses.
Trailing, 25-30, at halftime, the Batang Kankaloo greeted the third quarter with a 16-point cluster, eight courtesy of Jeramer Cabanag, to pull ahead at 41-30.
Rhaffy Octobre ended Bataan’s dry spell with a bucket at 4:40, but the Batang Kankaloo countered with a 10-2 run and proceeded to pull the Risers down to 5-16.
Hounded by poor field goal (19 of 64 tries) and free throw (8 of 19 attempts, the Risers fell behind by as far as 34-51.
Cabanag wound up with 16 points and five rebounds, followed by Gabby Espinas with nine points and 10 rebounds and Ronnie Matias with seven points, four rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Bataan got 17 points and six rebounds from Octobre and nine points, three rebounds and six assists from Edrian Ramirez.
Hounded by poor field goal (19 of 64 tries) and free throw (8 of 19 attempts), the Risers fell behind by as far as 34-51.
Manila moved ahead, 76-67, with one minute and 17 seconds left following successive triples by Joshua Torralba, Jimboy Pasturan and Torralba, but the Tamaraws closed out with 11 points, 8 by Dela Cruz, against a charity by Torralba to post their second stunner and improve to 7-15.