Zamboanga Sikat stretched its hot streak with a hard-earned 82-77 victory over Quezon City Galeries Taipan on Saturday in Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season at the Nueva Ecija Coliseum in Palayan City.
The Taipans threatened at 77-80 following two free throws and a jumper by Dave Bernabe, but James Sena countered with two charities to seal Zamboanga’s fifth straight win and a 10-2 record in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.
The Zamboanguenos trail only the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards (10-0), the San Juan Knights (9-0), the Pampanga Giant Lanterns (9-1) and the Abra Weavers (9-1) in the race for playoff spots.
Abdul Sawat led Zamboanga with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, although he left the game in the homestretch after dislocating a finger.
Other Zamboanguenos who delivered were John Arthur Calisay with 12 points and 6 rebounds, Sena with 12 points and 3 rebounds, JP Cauilan with 11 points and 6 rebounds, and Ichie Altamirano with 9 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
Med Salim, Sawat and John Edcel Rojas joined forces to push Zamboanga ahead, 73-61, midway through the fourth quarter, but Nino Ibanez bunched 8 points to narrow the gap, 71-77, with 1 minute and 41 seconds left.
Quezon City skidded to 3-8 despite Jayson Puray’s 13 points and 4 assists, Jerome Santos’ 12 points and 9 rebounds, Ibanez’s 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals, Vincent Cunanan’s 11 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 assists, and Dave Bernabe’s 10 points and 4 rebounds.
The MPBL returns to the Orion Sports Complex on Monday with games pitting Abra against Bacolod at 4 p.m., Caloocan against Pampanga at 6 p.m., and Ilagan against host Bataan at 8 p.m.
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