REIGNING back-to-back champion Pampanga and Caloocan notched contrasting wins in the Manny Paquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season on Thursday at the San Andres Sports Complex.
The Pampanga Giant Lanterns led throughout and routed Manila Batang Quiapo, 127-95, in the nightcap, while the Caloocan Batang Kankaloo came from behind to nip the Gensan Warriors, 75-72, earlier.
Pampanga and Caloocan raised their records to 4-1, keeping close to pacesetters Nueva Ecija and Rizal Xentromall, both 5-0, and San Juan (3-0) in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
Powered by Larry Muyang and four others, the Giant Lanterns pulled away at 66-38 behind a 14-point run and led by as far as 83-47 in the freewheeling encounter.
Muyang, from Santa Ana, Pampanga, poured 35 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and issued 2 assists, followed by Archie Concepcion with 19 points, spiked by 3 triples, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
Other Giant Lanterns who shone were Raymond Binuya with 13 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals, John Lloyd Clemente with 13 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals, and Chris Lalata with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists.
Manila, which fell to 1-5, got 19 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals from homegrown Ashley Faa, 12 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists from Richard Albo, Jan Baltazar with 14 points, Yvan Ludovice 13 points and Achie Inigo 10 points.
Caloocan erased an 8-point deficit with 1 minute and 24 seconds left to climb to joint fourth with Pampanga, Pangasinan, Abra, Quezon and Zamboanga.
With Chris Bitoon pouring nine of his game-high 24 points in that span, the Caloocan Batang Kankaloo dropped 13 while holding Gensan to just two to notch their fourth straight win after an initial loss. Jeff Manday and Joshua Flores supported Bitoon with 9 and 8 points.
The Pasay Voyagers returned to orbit with an 83-81 stunner over the Quezon Huskers in the opener.
Laurenz Victoria and Cyrus Tabi canned back-to-back triples that lifted the Voyagers’ card to 4-2.
Quezon Province had a chance to reverse the outcome, but Judel Fuentes missed a 3-point jumper and Voyager Warren Bonifacio snagged the defensive rebound to hand the Huskers their first loss in five starts.
Tabi led the Voyagers with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, followed by Victoria with 14 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds and Felipe Chavez with 13 points.
Other Huskers who delivered for Coach Marlon Martin were Bonifacio, with 12 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, and Dhon Reverente, with 12 points and 8 rebounds.
The Huskers ruled the boards, 44-34, but the Voyagers compensated by forcing more turnovers, 7-17, in the game marked by 10 deadlocks and six lead changes.
Quezon got 21 points from Fuentes, 14 points and 5 rebounds from JP Sarao, 11 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists from Vince Magbuhos, and 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists from Alfrancis Tamsi.
The MPBL goes to the FPJ Coliseum in San Jose, Batangas, on Friday, April 4, with games pitting Muntinlupa against Cebu at 4 p.m., Bataan against San Juan at 6 p.m., and Pangasinan against Bataan at 8 p.m.