Gensan shared the lead, while Abra Solid North sustained its recovery on Friday, May 29, in the SportsPlus MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the Paco Arena in Manila.
The Gensan Warriors thwarted the Cebu Greats’ repeated assaults to prevail, 91-80, in the second game and extend their win-run to 10, the same as the Caloocan Batang Kankaloo, in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 28-team tournament.
The Abra Weavers flaunted the depth of their roster with a 114-77 demolition of Manila Batang Quiapo in the nightcap and climbed to 7-1, trailing the Quezon Huskers (7-0) and overtaking the San Juan Knights (6-1) in the chase for playoff berths.
Anton Eusebio poured in nine points in the fourth quarter and joined forces with Joshua Fontanilla, Kris Porter and Hesed Gabo to regain control for the Warriors, who got overtaken by the Greats, 69-67, following a 6-point bundle.
The 6-foot-5 Eusebio, a former College of St. Benilde Blazer, posted 15 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists, while Fontanilla finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals and was chosen the SportsPlus best player.
Other Warriors who delivered were Marwin Dionisio, with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists, Mark Cruz, with 12 points and 5 assists, and Porter, with 13 points, Adi Santos with 5 points and 14 rebounds, and Gabo with 8 points and 11 assists.
Cebu tumbled to 7-3 despite Mark Meneses’ 17 points and 6 rebounds, Brian Heruela’s 12 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals, and Paul Desiderio’s 10 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.
Abra extends Paranaque’s woes
With the Batang Quiapo offering token opposition, the Weavers gave exposure to homegrown icons Will Kean Lee, Redel Fabro, Harley Baldo, Joshua Asuncion and Jay Yutoc, who proved their worth in handing Batang Quiapo their ninth loss against a lone win.
Lee tallied 17 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds, Baldo 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, Yutoc 8 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists, Asuncion 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, and Fabro 6 points plus 6 rebounds.
All 15 Weavers fielded in scored, with 6-foot-8 Drex Delos Reyes carding 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Manila tumbled to 1-9, negating Mark Doligon’s 31-point, 7-rebound, 4-assist effort, and Joe Gomez De Liano’s 13 points and 5 rebounds.
Valenzuela thwarts Paranaque
The Valenzuela City Darkhorse banked on Angelo Obuyes and JR Olegario to subdue the Paranaque Patriots, 76-72, in the first game and level their slate at 5-5.
Obuyes scored 9 of his 16 points and Olegario 6 of his 20 in the fourth quarter, where the Darkhorse regained a 10-point lead, 76-66, on a split free throw by Obuyes with 1 minute and 2 seconds to go.
Not even Domark Matillano’s back-to-back triples could save the Patriots from their 11th straight defeat.
Olegario posted 20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 assists to clinch best player honors over Jay Collado, with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, Obuyes, with 16 points and 3 rebounds, and Shaq Alanes, with 11 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals.
The MPBL goes to the Orion Sports Complex on Saturday, featuring games between Pasay and Quezon City at 4 p.m., San Juan and Basilan at 6 p.m., and Bataan and Rizal at 8 p.m.
