MANILA, Philippines — The Batangas City Tanduay Athletics greeted the second quarter with a 20-point cluster and went on to rout the Paranaque Patriots, 91-53, in the SportsPlus MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the Paco Arena in Manila.
Ino Comboy presided over that Batangas blitz, firing 11 points on a jumper and three straight triples, followed by Rhinwill Yambing with 5 points as the Athletics pulled away to stay, 41-14, with 3 minutes and 48 seconds left before the half.
Atoning for his goal-tending violation that pushed Cebu past Batangas, 84-83, on April 22, Yambing finished with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals and was chosen the SportsPlus best player over Jhan Nermal, with 16 points and 7 rebounds, and Comboy, with 13 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.
Only Domark Matillano struck back for Binan with 17 points and 5 rebounds.
Batangas raised its record to 5-2, trailing Caloocan (6-0), Gensan (6-0), Quezon Province (3-0), Ilagan Isabela (5-1), San Juan (4-1), and Abra (3-1) in the standings of the two-division, 28-team tournament.
Binan trounces Mindoro
Binan dumped Mindoro, 100-75, in the second game to climb to 4-3.
Nic Cabanero, former star of the University of Santo Tomas Glowing Goldies, posted a double-double 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Kenny Roger Rocacurva 19 points and 9 rebounds for Binan, which led as far as 65-34.
Other major contributors were Pamboy Raymundo with 13 points and 2 steals, Michael Mabulac with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists, and Marc Pingris with 12 points and 5 rebounds.
Mindoro, which skidded to 2-4, got 15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists from JJ Caspe, 14 points and 3 rebounds from Bambam Gamalinda, and 13 points plus four rebounds from Fil-Am Ashon Andrews.
Basilan dumps Bulacan
Basilan Steel leaned on John Wilson to trounce Bulacan, 86-78, in the opener.
Flashing the form that made him the 2019 Season MVP, Wilson notched 21 points, 10 in the fourth quarter, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals to power Basilan to a 4-3 slate.
Wilson, who has been working out doubly hard to whip his 38-year-old body into tiptop shape, also emerged the game's best rebounder as Basilan ruled the boards, 46-40, en route to being named the SportsPlus best player. Jervy Cruz supported Wilson with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, and so did Miles Canal with 8 points and 6 rebounds, helping Basilan to enter the upper half of the standings.
Bulacan, behind Andrei Acop and Mart James Barrera, managed to move within 70-73, but Basilan countered with an 11-3 run to break free at 84-73 and hand the Kuyas their fourth loss against two wins.
Acop posted 23 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, Benedict Benedictos 16 points and 5 rebounds, and Eugene Gonzales, 12 points and 6 rebounds.
The MPBL continues at the Ynares Center in Montalban, Rizal, on Tuesday, featuring games between Marikina and Negros at 4 p.m., Bacolod and Quezon Province at 6 p.m., and Bataan and Pasig at 8 p.m. TMT
