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| Carlo Lastimosa delivers for the Biñan Tatak Gel. MPBL |
MANILA—The Batangas City Tanduay Athletics met some resistance from the Meycauayan Marilao Gems before prevailing, 75-61, on Thursday in the SportsPlus MPBL 2026 Season at the Batangas City Coliseum.
The Gems moved closer, 61-68, with 3 minutes and 24 seconds left, but the Athletics blanked them the rest of the way while bunching 8 points to extend their hot streak to 10 and climb to 12-2 in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 27-team tournament.
Batangas trails Gensan (13-2) and paces Biñan (12-3) and Cebu (12-3) in the race for playoff spots in the South division.
Biñan Tatak Gel started hot and never cooled to rout Bulacan, 95-75, in the opener.
Biñan opened up with a 12-point spurt and never allowed the Bulacan Kuyas to come within single digits en route to its 9th straight win and a 12-3 record.
Batangas high flyer Rhinwill Yambing tallied 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 3 steals to clinch the SportsPlus best player honors over Ino Comboy, with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, and Mark Cruz, with 14 points and 8 rebounds.
Former Batangas mainstay MJ Dela Virgen pooled 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, but did not get enough support as Jayson Apolonio could only contribute 9 points and 6 rebounds for the Gems, who absorbed their third straight defeat and fell to 8-7.
Zamboanga foils Basilan
Zamboanga SiKat thwarted Basilan Steel's final assault and won, 82-74, in the second game.
Well ahead, 52-27, Zamboanga saw Basilan creep to within 72-76, behind Javee Mocon, and 74-78, behind John Wilson.
Brandon Wilson, however, drove in, and Reggz Gabat canned two free throws with 16 seconds left to seal Zamboanga's fifth win against 9 losses.
Joseph Gabayni chalked up 13 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 assists to edge Gabat, who had 19 points and 2 rebounds, for best player honors.
They were supported by Forthsky Padrigao with 16 points, 4 assists, and 2 rebounds, Inand Fornilos with 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists, and Brandon Wilson with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Basilan skidded to 7-9 despite John Wilson's 18 points and 9 rebounds, Mark Montuano's 15 points and 5 rebounds, Jan Jamon's 15 points, 4 assists, and 2 rebounds, and Mocon's 12 points, 4 assists, and 2 rebounds.
Biñan's Carlo Lastimosa tallied 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals, followed by Jaymar Gimpayan with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Pumping in 8 points in the fourth quarter, Lastimosa was picked as the best player over Gimpayan and Michael Mabulac, who notched 11 points, 7 in the fourth, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Kenny Roger Rocacurva contributed 12 points and 4 rebounds, Kristan Hernandez 11 points and 6 rebounds, and Nic Cabanero 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists for Biñan, which led as far as 47-26.
The Kuyas, who suffered their fourth straight defeat and tumbled to 4-11, got 13 points each from Jonathan Medina and Jeremy Cruz and 12 points from Marj De Leon.
The tournament returns to the Cuneta Astrodome on Friday, featuring games between Gensan and Imus at 4 p.m., Bacolod and Ilagan Isabela at 6 p.m., and Abra and Pasay at 8 p.m.
