The Quezon Huskers proved more proficient long-range shooters than the Valenzuela City Magic and prevailed, 75-55, on Tuesday in Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season at the Olivarez College Gym in Paranaque City.
Led by Joshua Yerro, who went a perfect 4 of 4 from rainbow territory, and Judel Fuentes, who made 2 of 2, the Huskers drilled in nine of 19 triple tries that swamped the Magic, who could only sink 3 of 19 attempts.
Smarting from the 82-88 defeat it suffered against Pampanga on May 10, Quezon Province led throughout and by as far as 75-55 en route to a 9-2 record in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
In other games, the Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters notched a wire-to-wire 75-60 victory over the Sarangani Gripper, while Pasig City also led throughout and routed Paranaque, 85-70.
Yerro, a 6-foot-1 high-flyer from Adamson, finished with 14 points and two rebounds to clinch best player honors over Judel Fuentes, who posted 13 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, and JP Sarao, who chalked up 10 points and 6 rebounds.
Valenzuela tasted a fifth straight loss and tumbled to 3-9 as only Jan Formento struck back with 19 points and 3 rebounds.
Powered by Cedrick Ablaza, Levi Hernandez and John Ambulodto, Batangas surged to a 42-24 halftime spread, which Sarangani couldn’t recover.
Hernandez posted 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, Ambulodto 11 points plus 6 rebounds, Jeckster Apinan 9 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and Mark Niel Cruz 9 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
Sarangani, which fell to 2-10, got 19 points and 5 rebounds from Junjie Hallare, 11 points plus 8 rebounds from Coy Alves, and nine points from Larce Sunga.
The Rum Masters, bent on duplicating their 2018 MPBL inaugural triumph, have acquired the services of 6-foot-10 Fil-Am CJ Lane.
A former La Salle, Gilas and Ginebra prospect, the 30-year-old Lane is in the United States and will join the Rum Masters in August.
