The Pangasinan Heatwaves torched the Quezon City Galeries Taipans, 92-77, while the Cebu Greats stunned the Gensan Warriors, 100-94, on Saturday in Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL Season 25 at the Villar Coliseum in Las Pinas City.
Led by new gunner Allyn Bulanadi, the Heatwaves broke free in the third quarter, 69-61, and proceeded to their fourth straight win and a 14-6 record in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
Cebu banked on the heads-up plays of Mark Meneses and Jun Manzo to foil Gensan’s final assault and improve to 6-15.
Bulanadi, a former Gilas pool member from San Sebastian College, posted 16 points, 14 in the third quarter, and three rebounds in his MPBL return after playing for Basilan in the 2020 season.
Veteran Vic Manuel also shone for Pangasinan, which led as far as 89-71, with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists; followed by Jorey Napoles with 13 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists; Michael Mabulac with 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists; and Laurenz Victoria with 9 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
Quezon City skidded to 6-15 as only Ryan Reyes and John Edcel Rojas, who went out with a right shoulder injury in the fourth quarter, struck back with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Manzo, a former star of the University of the Philippines Maroons, fired 11 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, issued 6 assists and grabbed 2 rebounds to complement Meneses’ 23 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals.
Cebu also drew 13 points and 5 rebounds from Jan Jamon and 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals from Paul Desiderio, another former UP stalwart.
Gensan got 25 points, laced by 7 triples, 5 rebounds and 2 assists from Kyle Tolentino, 13 points each from Mark Cruz and Joel Lee Yu, 10 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals from Marwin Dionisio, and nine points, all in the fourth quarter, from Nico Elorde.
The Ilagan Isabela Cowboys rebounded with an 86-73 victory over the Davao Occidental Tigers in the opener.
Led by Mark Dyke, the Cowboys bunched 10 points in the homestretch that sealed their 12th win against nine losses and erased the stigma of a 79-87 defeat to the San Juan Knights on July 26 in Zamboanga City.
Dyke, a 6-foot-3 forward out of De La Salle University, posted 20 points, 16 rebounds and 3 assists to clinch best player honors over Donald Gumaru, with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, and Arth Dela Cruz, who flirted with a triple-double (11-points, 11 assists, 9 rebounds) on top of 3 steals.
Agem Miranda also delivered for Cowboys Coach Louie Gonzalez with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
Davao tumbled to 8-12 despite the 24-point, 11-rebound, 3-assist effort of Keith Agovida, and the 20-point, 9-rebound, 3-assist, 2-steal output of Jeff Comia.
The MPBL returns to the FilOil EcoOil Centre on Monday, with games pitting Abra against Manila at 4 p.m., Basilan against Bacolod at 6 p.m., and San Juan against Zamboanga at 8 p.m.
Caption: Allyn Bulanadi shines in MPBL return for the Pangasinan Heatwaves.
Pangasinan, Cebu subdue rivals; Ilagan Isabela prevails in MPBL
