Abra took a cruise while Zamboanga had a bumpy ride toward the victory stand of Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season at the Paco Arena on Friday.
The Abra Solid North Weavers overpowered the Sarangani Gripper, 103-75, in the first game to stay close to the pacesetters, while Zamboanga SiKat followed suit by surviving Ilagan Isabela, 63-62, and gaining traction in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
With all 15 Weavers scoring, Abra led by as far as 72-32 in notching their seventh straight win and climbing to a 9-1 card.
The Weavers trail only the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards (10-0) and the San Juan Knights (9-0) in the race for playoff slots.
Roi Sumang scored the Zamboanguenos’ last six points against four by the Cowboys’ Joshua Guiab to lift his team to an 8-2 card.
Sumang finished with 11 points and 6 assists, Abdul Sawat 13 points and 11 rebounds, and JP Cauilan abranine points and five rebounds.
The Cowboys, who dropped to 5-6, had a chance to reverse the outcome, but Gab Gomez missed his desperation triple from way out before the final bell sounded.
The Weavers gave the Grippers no chance to recover from a 20-46 halftime deficit.
Dave Ildefonso presided over Abra’s offense with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, followed by homegrown Will Keane Lee with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, and Marvin Taywan with 10 points and 3 assists.
Unable to find their mark, Encho Serrano and Mark Yee worked inside, snagging 9 and 8 rebounds that helped Abra rule underneath, 61-47, and produce 50 inside points against Sarangani’s 32.
Abra’s Enrico Joaquin Garcia contributed 9 points, all from triples, the same as CJ Austria.
With Garcia hitting 3 of 5 and Lee going 2 for 3, the Weavers converted 10 of 27 attempts for 37 percent, better than the Grippers’ 6 of 22 for 27.3 percent.
Sarangani slipped to 2-9 despite June Hallare’s 15 points and 2 rebounds, Larce Sunga’s 13 points and 7 rebounds, and Adven Jess Diputado’s 10 points and 3 assists.
Quezon City Galeries Taipan banked on Nino Ibanez to trounce Manila Batang Quiapo, 91-79, and improve to 3-7 in the nightcap.
Ibanez tallied 24 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists; followed by Franz Diaz with 12 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals; Ry Aijer De La Rosa with 11 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists; and Jerome Santos with 10 points plus 2 blocks.
Manila tumbled to 1-9 despite Richard Albo’s 19 points and 7 rebounds; John Ashley Faa’s 13 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals; Achie Inigo’s 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists; and Dustin James Ambrosio’s 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks.
The MPBL visits the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena on Saturday with games pitting Muntinlupa against Imus at 4 p.m., Paranaque against Batangas at 6 p.m., and Pampanga against host Quezon at 8 p.m.
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