The Basilan Viva Portmasters trounced the Bulacan Kuyas, 102-80, on Saturday, April 5, to gain traction in the Manny Pacquiao presents-MPBL 2025 Season at the Pola Gymnasium in Oriental Mindoro.
Showing better cohesion, Basilan pulled away at 57-31 to break a two-game slide and improve its record to 2-4 in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
Omar Larupay paced the Portmasters with 20 points, 18 rebounds and 1 block and clinched best player honors over Gab Dagangon, who posted 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, in the opener of a tripleheader.
Other Portmasters who delivered were Adi Santos with 15 points and 11 rebounds, John Mahari with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, and James Tempra with 10 points and 7 rebounds.
Dominant off both boards, 71-34, the Portmasters poured 60 points in the paint against 28 for the Kuyas, who suffered their seventh straight defeat.
Jeff Viernes and Enzo Navarro ably orchestrated the plays for Basilan, piling 12 and 10 assists, respectively, out of the Portmasters’ total of 39. Disorganized Bulacan handed 13 assists.
Bulacan got 15 points fro Joseph Mark Marquez, 14 from John Rey Sumido and 12 each from Art Patrcik Aquino, Joseph Celso and Gino Jumao-as.
Pola Mayor Jennifer “Ina Alegre” Cruz, team owner of the Mindoro Tamaraws, watched the games with other municipal officials and MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes.
Hundreds of spectators who were unable to enter the packed venue watched the action at a giant LED screen installed outside the gymnasium.
The MPBL returns to the Ynares Arena 2 Montalban on Monday, April 7, with games pitting Marikina against Muntinlupa at 4 p.m., Pasig against Bacolod at 6 p.m., and Abra against host Rizal Xentromall at 8 p.m.
