MPBL: Abra halts Rizal run; Muntinlupa, Pasig win

MANILA, Philippines — The Abra Weavers snapped the Rizal Xentromall Golden Coolers' hot streak with an 85-70 victory on Monday in Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season at Ynares Arena 2 Montalban in Rizal Province.

With the count tied at 18, the Weavers sped away behind an Encho Serrano-sparked 14-point cluster from which the Golden Coolers could not recover.

Abra, with Dave Ildefonso, Jayson Castro Apolonio and Raven Gonzales joining the scoring spree, led by as far as 69-43 before cruising to its fifth win against a loss, the same card as Rizal, in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.

Ildefonso posted 17 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals to edge Serrano, who tallied 16 points, spiked by three triples, three assists and two rebounds, for Best Player honors in the nightcap of a triple-header.

Apolonio wound up with 12 points and five rebounds; Gonzales 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks; followed by Marwin Taywan with 10 points, six assists, three blocks and two steals.

The Golden Coolers greeted the fourth quarter with a 10-point run to move within 54-69 only to be met by a nine-point spurt from Ildefonso, Serrano and homegrown Redel Fabro that sent many of the local crowd to the exits, 54-78, with 3:58 left.

Rizal got 20 points plus seven rebounds from Eric Camson; 17 points plus two rebounds from Alwyn Alday; 11 points, eight rebounds plus two assists from Marco Balagtas; and five points, 13 assists, three steals and four rebounds from Keanu Caballero.

Pasig City subdued Bacolod, 64-54, in a battle between debuting teams in the second game.

Trailing the Bacolod Tubo Slashers, 28-31, at halftime, the Pasiguenos rev up their attack to seize control by the third quarter and storm ahead, 56-43, midway through the final period through the efforts of Keith Pido, Warlo James Batac and Chito Jaime.

Pido wound up with 14 points and two assists; Batac 10 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals; and Jaime 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists to power Pasig's 10-man rotation.

Composed mainly of homegrown players, Bacolod got 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists from Jaycee Sam Adjei; 10 points, 10 rebounds and three assists from Chester Saldua; and 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals from Jan Gabriel Sobrevega.

The Muntinlupa Cagers claimed the Marikina Shoemasters as their latest victim, 72-63, in the opener.

Although bereft of superstars, the Cagers zoomed ahead 65-49 en route to a 3-0 card.

Muntinlupa trails only Nueva Ecija (6-0), and San Juan (4-0) in the standings.

Marvin Hayes posted 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists; Patrick Ramos 13 points, four rebounds and two assists; and Kurt Lojera 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals for Muntinlupa, which beat Bulacan and Cebu in its first two games.

Dom Matillano, however, was chosen the Best Player after notching 12 points, six rebounds and two assists for Muntinlupa coach Giovanni Ludovice.

Marikina, which slumped to 0-7, got 15 points and eight rebounds from Michael Macion, and 14 points plus four rebounds from Nem Dela Cruz.

The league returns to the Cuneta Astrodome on Tuesday, April 8, with another triple-bill pitting Quezon City against Quezon Province at 4 p.m., Manila against Zamboanga SiKat at 6 p.m., and Sarangani against Pasay at 8 p.m.