Pasay revved up in the fourth quarter and battered Parañaque, 76-62, night in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2025 Season at the Olivarez College Gymnasium in Parañaque.
Marc Daniel Sangco and Jasper Salenga combined for a 13-3 run opening the fourth quarter, which propelled the Voyagers to a 67-54 spread, from which the Patriots could not recover.
Highlighted by back-to-back triples by Salenga and another triple by Sangco, that scoring spurt pushed Pasay’s record to 6-2 in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
The Voyagers trailed the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards (7-0), San Juan Knights (5-0), Muntinlupa Cagers (4-0), Abra Weavers (6-1), Quezon Huskers (6-1), Pampanga Giant Lanterns (5-1) and the Pangasinan Heatwaves in the race for playoff spots.
Warren Bonifacio posted 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists to clinch the Best Player honors for the Voyagers, who also drew 11 points, five assists and two rebounds from Laurenz Victoria and nine points each from Salenga and Felipe Chavez.
The Patriots, who led 46-41 midway through the third period, absorbed their third straight defeat, despite Jayboy Solis’ 12 points, five rebounds and three assists, Allen Bernard Papa’s 11 points, three rebounds and James Managahas’ 10 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Quezon Province gave Pasig City a reality check with a wire-to-wire 75-56 victory in the opener.
Powered by JP Sarao, Judel Fuentes, LJ Gonzales and Joseph Gabayni, the Huskers led by as far as 65-40 before cruising to victory.
Sarao posted 11 points and six rebounds to emerge Best Player over Fuentes, who tallied 10 points, four rebounds and two assists; Gonzales with 10 points, three rebounds and two assists; and Gabayni with 10 points and three rebounds.
Pasig, which won its first two games, got 13 points and five rebounds from Mark Montuano and 10 points plus 6 rebounds from Jacob Galicia.
Dominant off the boards, 44-33, the Huskers poured 40 points in the paint against 25 for the Pasigueños.