The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards banked on Jaycee Marcelino’s explosion to subdue the Pasay Voyagers, 84-72, on Monday in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season at the Robert Estrella Sr. Memorial Memorial Gym in Rosales, Pangasinan.
With the Voyagers knotting the count at 70, Marcelino flashed the form that made him the 2022 league MVP, bunching eight points in a 14-point run that sealed the win for the 2022 MPBL champion Rice Vanguards, 84-70, with 1 minute and 10 seconds to go.
Marcelino wound up with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 1 block, yielding best player honors to fellow Ralph Tansingco, who posted 18 points, 7 rebounds and 1 steal in Nueva Ecija’s first game of the MPBL’s seventh season.
Jammer Jamito provided support with 13 points, 3 steals and 2 rebounds, and so did Billy Robles with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, and John Byron Villarias with 8 points and 2 rebounds.
The Pangasinan Heatwaves shut down the Bataan Risers in the last two minutes to prevail, 95-86, in the nightcap.
Trailing the Risers, 84-86, the Heatwaves turned hot through Michael Mabulac, Vic Manuel, Lervin Flores and Michael DiGregorio to win their first assignment at home.
Manuel lived up to the hype in his MPBL debut, coming through with 23 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block and clinching best player honors over Jorey Napoles, who tallied 20 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal.
Mabulac chalked 10 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists. DiGregorio notched 11 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, and Ralph Robin 11 points plus 2 rebounds.
Bataan, which led for nearly 26 minutes, drew 12 points each from Jeff Santos and Yves Sazon and 11 from Chris Javier and Robbi Darang.
Imus Braderhood rode the hot hands of Jhon Jerrick Caspe in the fourth quarter to stun the Mindoro Tamaraws, 83-75, in the opener.
Caspe, a former homegrown of Mindoro, poured 15 of his game-high 19 points in that span to eclipse the Tamaraws’ 14-point total and lift Imus to victory after trailing throughout the first three quarters and by as far as 38-52.
In addition, Caspe posted 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 assists to earn best player honors over teammates Mark Anthony Doligon, who notched 20 points, 12 rebounds and 2 steals, and Regie Boy Basibas, who finished with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
Jaypee Belencion contributed 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, while Jayvee Dela Cruz chipped in 9 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds for Imus, which took control, 67-64, after a triple by Belencion and 7 straight points by Caspe.
Mindoro got 14 points each from Ken Bono and Wendelino Comboy and 9 from Jun Manzo and Bambam Gamalinda.
