Abra took a cruise while Zamboanga had a bumpy ride toward the victory stand of Manny Pacquiao presents MPBL 2025 Season at the Paco Arena on Friday, May 9.
The Abra Solid North Weavers overpowered the Sarangani Gripper, 103-75, in the first game to stay close to the pacesetters, while Zamboanga SiKat followed suit by surviving Ilagan Isabela, 63-62, and gaining traction in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
With all 15 Weavers scoring, Abra led by as far as 72-32 in notching their seventh straight win and climbing to a 9-1 card.
The Weavers trail only the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards (10-0) and the San Juan Knights (9-0) in the race for playoff slots.
Roi Sumang scored the Zamboanguenos’ last six points against four by the Cowboys’ Joshua Guiab to lift his team to an 8-2 card.
Sumang finished with 11 points and 6 assists, Abdul Sawat 13 points and 11 rebounds, and JP Cauilan abranine points and five rebounds.
The Cowboys, who dropped to 5-6, had a chance to reverse the outcome, but Gab Gomez missed his desperation triple from way out before the final bell sounded.
The Weavers gave the Grippers no chance to recover from a 20-46 halftime deficit.
Dave Ildefonso presided over Abra’s offense with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, followed by homegrown Will Keane Lee with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, and Marvin Taywan with 10 points and 3 assists.
Unable to find their mark, Encho Serrano and Mark Yee worked inside, snagging 9 and 8 rebounds that helped Abra rule underneath, 61-47, and produce 50 inside points against Sarangani’s 32.
Abra’s Enrico Joaquin Garcia contributed 9 points, all from triples, the same as CJ Austria.
With Garcia hitting 3 of 5 and Lee going 2 for 3, the Weavers converted 10 of 27 attempts for 37 percent, better than the Grippers’ 6 of 22 for 27.3 percent.
Sarangani slipped to 2-9 despite June Hallare’s 15 points and 2 rebounds, Larce Sunga’s 13 points and 7 rebounds, and Adven Jess Diputado’s 10 points and 3 assists.
Quezon City Galeries Taipan banked on Nino Ibanez to trounce Manila Batang Quiapo, 91-79, and improve to 3-7 in the nightcap.
Ibanez tallied 24 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists; followed by Franz Diaz with 12 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals; Ry Aijer De La Rosa with 11 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists; and Jerome Santos with 10 points plus 2 blocks.
Manila tumbled to 1-9 despite Richard Albo’s 19 points and 7 rebounds; John Ashley Faa’s 13 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals; Achie Inigo’s 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists; and Dustin James Ambrosio’s 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks.
The MPBL visits the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena on Saturday with games pitting Muntinlupa against Imus at 4 p.m., Paranaque against Batangas at 6 p.m., and Pampanga against host Quezon at 8 p.m.
