Caloocan Batang Kankaloo banked on a third quarter explosion to oust reigning back-to-back champion Pampanga, 81-71, in the North Division quarterfinal playoffs on Saturday and advance to the semifinal round of the MPBL 2025 Season at the Caloocan Sports Complex.
Trailing 49-53, the Batang Kankaloo erupted for 15 straight points behind Irven Palencia, Joco Tayongtong, Rommel Calahat and Paul Hendrix Casin to seize control at 64-53 and never let go to repeat their 65-61 victory in Game 1 on October 10.
Caloocan thus forge a best-of-three North Division semifinal tussle with Abra Solid North, which rallied to beat Ilagan Isabela, 73-69, and end the Cowboys’ maiden stint in the tournament.
The Abra Solid North Weavers clawed back from a 53-63 hole with 6 minutes and 45 seconds left, blitzing the Cowboys, 15-3, with Dave Ildefonso at the helm, to move ahead, 68-66, time down to 1:04.
Palencia, who capped that assault with a long triple, extended Caloocan’s assault with a basket greeting the fourth quarter for the game’s biggest margin, 66-53, which Pampanga was able to narrow at 66-72 through Larry Muyang and Jhan Nermal.
A triple by Jeff Manday and a 4-point play by Casin, however, sealed the outcome, 78-68, with only 54.3 seconds left.
Manday posted 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, Cervantes 16 points plus 4 rebounds, Casin 14 points, 2 rebounds and 2 steals, and Calahat 10 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds for Caloocan Coach Mike Saguiguit.
Ildefonso posted 17 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists to clinch best player honors over Encho Serrano, who tallied 16 points and 3 rebounds, Mike Ayonayon with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks, and Taywan with 11 points and 3 assists.
Agem Miranda, filling the slack left by the injured Arth Dela Cruz, paced the Cowboys with 17 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals. Donald Gumaru supported with 14 points, spiked by four triples, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, and so did Solis with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
