Biñan and Mindoro won in contrasting fashions on Monday in the SportsPlus MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the Villar Coliseum in Las Pinas.
Biñan Tatak Gel leaned on Carlo Lastimosa and Nic Cabanero to trounce Valenzuela City, 102-74, while the Mindoro Tamaraws banked on a turnaround fall-away jumper by Brian Heruela with 1.3 seconds left to nip the Meycauayan Marilao Gems, 84-82, in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 27-team tournament.
In the other game, Sarangani 10ACT drubbed Manila Batang Quiapo, 113-92, in the nightcap to improve to 4-16.
The Gems had a chance to reverse the outcome, but the ball slipped off Jayson Apolonio’s hands after he soared for an alley-oop from an inbound pass by Robin Nayve.
Homegrown Jayjay Caspe led the Tamaraws to an even 9-9 record with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, clinching the SportsPlus best player accolade over Bambam Gamalinda, who had 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, and JC Recto, with 11 points plus 2 assists.
Heruela finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, followed by Joseph Sedurifa with 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, and John Apacible with 10 points and 4 rebounds, to the delight of Mindoro Tamaraws team owner Pola Mayor Jennifer “Ina Alegre” Cruz.
The Gems skidded to 10-9 despite Agem Miranda’s 20 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds, Apolonio’s 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, and Shawn Argente’s 10 points, plus 4 rebounds.
Lastimosa tallied a career-high 32 points, spiked by five triples, and 2 assists and 2 rebounds, while Cabanero posted 22 points and 9 rebounds to power Binan to its 13th straight win and a 16-3 slate
Lastimosa captured the best player honors over Cabanero, who struggled from long distance, making only one of six attempts.
Other Binan players who delivered were Warren Bonifacio, Jaymar Gimpayan and Michael Mabulac with 6 points each.
