MPBL: Paranaque repels Muntinlupa; Valenzuela, Bulacan triumph

MANILA, Philippines – The Paranaque Patriots struck from afar in the fourth quarter and thwarted the Muntinlupa Cagers, 64-57, on Wednesday to share the lead in the 6th MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Season elimination round at the crammed Olivarez College Gym in Paranaque City.

Philip Manalang canned two triples while Mark Yee and John Rey Villanueva added a triple each as Paranaque took control at 62-55 and proceeded to tally their fourth straight victory in as many starts, the same card as Zamboanga Masters Sardines.

Yee wound up with 10 points and 13 rebounds to earn best player honors for the Patriots, who are enjoying their strongest start in the country's top regional league.

Manalang piled 12 points, four rebounds and four assists; while homegrown Paolo Castro contributed 10 points and three rebounds.

Muntinlupa tumbled to its fourth straight defeat despite the 15-point, 10-rebound effort of Joshua Guiab and the 13-point, four-rebound output of Joshua Miguel Marcos.

Other games saw Valenzuela Classics subdue the Bataan Risers, 91-87, and the Bulacan Kuyas stun the Sarangani Marlins, 92-88.

Valenzuela, powered by Dennis Santos, surged ahead 81-70 and used it as buffer to raise their record to 2-2, the same as Bataan.

Santos finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks and drew support from Ryan Trazona with 14 points; Nemesis Dela Cruz with 12 points plus five rebounds; and Orin Catacutan with 10 points plus four rebounds.

Bataan got 25 points and seven rebounds from homegrown Dante Paguio and 10 points each from Mitchelle Maynes and Yves Sazon.

Bulacan leaned on Nino Ibanez and Kristan Hernandez to rally past Sarangani.

Ibanez knocked in a triple with 16.4 seconds to go while Hernandez converted two charities with 4.5 ticks left to hand the Kuyas their first win after three straight setbacks.

Ibanez, a former Lyceum hotshot, chalked 20 points, three assists and two steals while the 6-foot-6 Hernandez tallied 17 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

Veteran Paulo Hubalde submitted 12 points, 11 assists and six rebounds; while Ralph Manzo came through with 12 points, six assists and two steals for the Kuyas, who clawed back from a 54-67 hole.

Sarangani, which led for the last time at 88-87, dropped to 1-3 despite the 17-point, 10-rebound contribution of Coy Alves; the 14-point, six-rebound line of Wilmar Oftana; and the 11-point, five-rebound, five-assist production of Felix John Vikkarente.

The MPBL goes to the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan on Thursday, April 25. On tap are Rizal against South Cotabato at 4 p.m., Batangas against Pasay at 6 p.m., and Iloilo against San Juan at 8 p.m.