The Rizal Xentromall Golden Coolers sustained their recovery in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season with a breezy 101-76 victory over the Valenzuela City Magic on Wednesday at the Ynares Center Montalban in Rizal Province.
Held at bay in the first half, the Golden Coolers turned hot and pulled away in the third quarter, 73-53, en route to their third straight win and an 8-3 record in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
In other games, Pasig banked on Chito Jaime’s triple from deep corner with 30.7 seconds left to stun Bataan, 88-85, in overtime, while Caloocan Batang Kankaloo beat Bacolod, 74-68, and climb to 7-4 in the opener.
Eric Camson, Samboy De Leon and Alwyn Alday combined for 25 points in that decisive period, outscoring the entire Magic, who pooled 19, including 11 by Jan Formento.
Camson posted 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals; De Leon 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists; and Alday 11 points plus 4 rebounds for Rizal Coach Ralph Rivera.
Valenzuela skidded to 3-8 despite Fomento’s 20-point, 7-rebound, 5-assist output; JR Alabanza’s 10 points and 11 rebounds; Lester Alvarez’s 17 points and 2 rebounds; and Jonathan Gesalem’s 13 points and 2 rebounds.
Flashing his old, deadly form, Jaime finished with 23 points, spiked by six triples, 7 rebounds and 2 steals to clinch best player honors over Robbie Manalang, who forged the extension at 80-80 with a triple off a steal by Jaime and wound up with 19 points, 8 assists and 2 rebounds.
Homegrown Jerome Garcia added 17 points and 3 rebounds, and Lester Reyes 5 points and 13 rebounds as Pasig halted a five-game skid and improved to 3-5.
Bataan, which surged ahead at 45-28, tumbled to 5-7, putting to waste Robbi Darang’s 16-point, 12-assists, 3-rebound, 2-steal output; homegrown Dante Paguio’s 15 points and 6 rebounds; Crhis Javier’s 10 points and 7 rebounds; and homegrown Jamil Gabawan’s 9 points and 11 rebounds.
Despite their edge in firepower, Batang Kankaloo couldn’t break away from the Tubo Slashers, leading by nine points at the most, behind Joco Tayongtong’s 11 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals, Paul Sanga’s 11 points and 3 rebounds, and Jeff Manday’s 10 points and 3 rebounds.
The Tubo Slashers even led 19-13 before yielding the half at 30-35 and eventually dropping to 2-6.
Bacolod got 18 points plus 4 rebounds from homegrown John Lemuel Pastias, and 14 points plus 8 rebounds from Miles Canal, another homegrown.
