Resurgent Abra battered Valenzuela, 84-52, on Saturday and gained ground in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season at the people-packed University of Bangued Gymnasium in Abra.
Dominant underneath and with 14 players scoring, the Abra Weavers led throughout en route to their fifth straight win and a 15-7 record in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 29-team tournament.
John Lloyd Clemente paced the Weavers with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, followed by Mark Yee, who clinched the Daily Fantasy best player honors with 10 points and 8 rebounds, and Jeepy Faundo with 10 points and 4 rebounds.
Other Weavers who delivered were Roi Sumang with 9 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds and Michael Canete with 7 points and 7 rebounds.
The Weavers overcame the 12 rebounds of 6-foot-9 Ladis Lepalam to rule the boards, 61-38, which they converted to more second-chance points, 44-32.
While the Weavers flaunted the depth of their roster, only seven Classics, led by Mark Montuano with 13 and Mike Delos Santos with 11, scored as they fell to 11-12 and ninth spot in the North Division.
Abra is ranked fifth behind Pampanga (22-1), San Juan (21-1), Nueva Ecija (18-3) and Manila (16-7).
Binan Tatak Gel and Pasay also cruised to victories in earlier games.
The Lagunenses, powered by high-flyer Poypoy Actub, subdued the Sarangani Marlins, 77-61, while the Pasay Voyagers drubbed the Imus Agimat, 87-59.
Actub fired 20 points, grabbed five rebounds and made three steals to earn best player honors as Binan rose to 15-8 in the South Division.
Actub, who knocked in two triples, was supported by Jaymar Gimpayan with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists.
Pasay, with Brian Hilario at the helm, climbed to 15-9, trailing Abra in the North Division.
Hilario chalked 16 points and 4 rebounds, AJ Coronel 11 points and 3 assists, and Jasper Salenga with 10 points and 3 rebounds.
Also-ran Imus tumbled to 1-22, while Sarangani, also out of contention for a playoff spot, fell to 5-18.
The MPBL returns to the FilOil EcoOil Centre on Monday with games pitting Mindoro against Bacolod at 4 p.m., Pampanga against Manila at 6 p.m., and South Cotabato against host San Juan at 8 p.m.
