Rizal Xentromall pulled away early, then repelled Quezon Province’s final rally to prevail, 83-77, on Wednesday, July 30, in the MPBL 2025 Season at Ynares Center Montalban in Rizal Province.
Powered by Eric Camson, Rizal piled a 17-3 buffer before Samboy de Leon, Michael Canete and John Apacible took over and handed the Golden Coolers their 13th win against 7 losses in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
In other games, Pasig City thwarted Muntinlupa, 79-71, to revive its playoff drive with an 8-12 card, while the Valenzuela City Magic bested the Bulacan Kuyas, 88-84, in the opener between also-ran teams.
The Huskers threatened at 77-81 through Diego Dario and LJ Gonzales with 36.4 seconds to go, but couldn’t score after, suffering their fourth defeat in 20 starts.
Canete finished with 20 points, all in the first half, 5 rebounds and 2 assists; De Leon notched 12 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists; Canete 12 points and 8 rebounds, and Apacible 12 points and 2 rebounds.
Quezon, which fell as far as 17-45, got 18 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds from Dario, 11 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals from Gonzales, and 11 points plus 3 rebounds from Gab Banal.
The Muntinlupa Cagers trailed by as many as 17 points but moved to within 71-73, only to be foiled by Pasig’s Warlo James Batac and Mark Montuano.
Batac, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard out of Bulacan State University, pumped in 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and added 9 rebounds and 3 assists as Pasig ended a 6-game skid.
Montuano wound up with 16 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, Chito Jaime 17 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks, and homegrown Jerome Garcia 11 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Muntinlupa, which got 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals from Dom Matillano, 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals from Marvin Hayes, and 12 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists from Patrick Ramos, fell to 10-10.
Kobe Monje led Valenzuela to a 5-17 record with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists, followed by JR Alabanza with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 2 assists, Carl Bryan Lacap with 14 points and 3 rebounds, and Jan Formento with 11 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds.
Bulacan tumbled to 3-18 despite Kobe Monje’s 35-point, 12-rebound, 4-assist effort, and Joseph Celso’s 11-point, 14-rebound, 2-assist output.
