Pasay caught Abra napping in the fourth quarter and posted a 70-60 stunner in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season at the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan City late Wednesday.
Showing cohesion, Felipe Chavez, Laurenz Victoria, Cyrus Tabi and Warren Bonifacio conspired for 10 Pasay points against just two for Abra late in the period to decide the outcome, 68-55, with a little over one minute left.
Tabi finished with 11 points, four rebounds and two steals and was chosen Best Player over Bonifacio, who wound up with 14 points, four rebounds and two steals, and Dhon Reverente with 11 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.
AJ Coronel also delivered in the Voyagers’ second win in three outings with 10 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, and so did Victoria with nine points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Beaten off the boards by the smaller Voyagers, 46-51, the Weavers were further hampered by awful shooting, missing all their 15 triple tries and sinking only 12 of 27 free throws.
In contrast, the Voyagers made 17 out of 20 charities.
Abra, which skidded to 2-1, drew 21 points, six rebounds and one steal from Encho Serrano and 11 points, seven rebounds and one block from Dave Ildefonso, but no other Weaver scored in twin digits.
Biñan Tatak Gel dominated Pangasinan, 85-71, throughout the nightcap to check a two-game slide in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
Christian Fajarito posted 14 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and one block to spearhead Biñan, which also got 14 points, six rebounds and four assists from Carlo Lastimosa, 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists from Kenny Roger Rocacurva, and 11 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, two assists and one steal from Niño Canaleta.
Pangasinan’s Vic Manuel scored 19 points but was held without a rebound as the Heatwaves yielded the boards, 43-56, and trailed by as many as 61-79.
The Heatwaves, who dropped to 2-1, drew 11 points plus 4 rebounds from Jay Collado and nine points plus 10 rebounds from Jorey Napoles.
The Ilagan Isabela Cowboys struck from long range and mowed down the Bulacan Kuyas, 109-82, in the opener.
Led by JR Olegario, who hit five triples en route to a game-high 22 points, the Cowboys drilled in 13 of 27 tries from beyond the arc to take the fight out of the Kuyas and climb to 2-1.
With Olegario piling 16 points, the Cowboys pulled away at the half, 59-31, and stormed ahead, 67-34, on a jumper by Allen Mina with 7:06 seconds to go in the third quarter.
Olegario, a 5-foot-7 find from Paranaque, also tallied four assists and two steals to clinch Best Player honors over Arth Dela Cruz, who posted 16 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two steals, and Mina, who tallied 16 points.