MPBL: Batangas, Gensan book contrasting wins

MANILA, Philippines — The Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters battered the Manila Batang Quiapo, 103-59, in the nightcap on Thursday to share the second spot in the North Division of the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season at the Batangas City Coliseum.

Batangas raised its record to 16-8, catching up with Zamboanga Sikat, which yielded to Gensan, 70-71, in the second game of the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team, two-division tournament.

Powered by 6-foot-10 Filipino-American CJ Lane, Jeckster Apinan and John Ambulodto, Batangas pounded the boards, 65-29, to tally its fourth straight victory and stay close to division pacesetter Quezon Province (18-4) in the jostling for better playoff placings.

Lane, fielded for 19 minutes and 11 seconds, posted 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block to clinch Best Player honors over Apinan, who notched 16 points, nine rebounds and two assists; and Ambulodto, with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Levi Hernandez and Philip Paniamogan contributed 10 points each as 14 of 15 players used by Batangas scored.

Manila tumbled to 2-21 as Alfred Sedillo, Stephen Torralba and Redgimir Eusebio could only tally eight points each.

Larry Rodriguez drilled in a 3-pointer atop the key with 3.6 seconds left to lift the Gensan Warriors past the Zamboanguenos and a 15-9 card, within sight of fourth-ranked Rizal Xentromall (14-8) in the South Division.

Mark Cruz paced Gensan with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists; followed by Eloie Tan with 11 points; Val Acuna with nine points; Rodriguez with six points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals; and Kyle Tolentino with five points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Zamboanga got 13 points, nine rebounds and two assists from Abdul Sawat; 10 points, three rebounds and two assists from Ichie Altamirano; and 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists from Med Salim.

The Ilagan Isabela Cowboys piled a big lead in the fourth quarter before cruising to a 75-63 victory over the Muntinlupa Cagers in the opener.

The Cowboys led as far as 71-45 in the fourth quarter and climbed to 13-11, trailing Pasay (16-8) and towing Bataan (9-15) in the North Division being led by North powerhouses Abra (22-1), Nueva Ecija (22-1) and San Juan (21-2).

JR Olegario posted 17 points, 12 in the third quarter, four rebounds and two assists to edge fellow Cowboys Agem Miranda, with 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals; and Mark Dyke, with 15 points, 16 rebounds and two steals, for the Best Player award.

Buenaventura Raflores wound up with 12 points plus 10 rebounds; and Dom Matillano 10 points plus five rebounds for Muntinlupa, which slumped to 10-13.

The MPBL postponed Friday's games set at the Marikina Sports Center on Friday, August 22, 2025, due to heavy rains in certain parts of Metro Manila. Affected were the games between  Davao and Quezon City at 4 p.m., Rizal Province and Bacolod at 6 p.m., and Marikina and San Juan at 8 p.m.

The new dates of the postponed games will be announced in due course.

MPBL: Batangas, Gensan book contrasting wins

MANILA, Philippines — The Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters battered the Manila Batang Quiapo, 103-59, in the nightcap on Thursday to share the second spot in the North Division of the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season at the Batangas City Coliseum.

Batangas raised its record to 16-8, catching up with Zamboanga Sikat, which yielded to Gensan, 70-71, in the second game of the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team, two-division tournament.

Powered by 6-foot-10 Filipino-American CJ Lane, Jeckster Apinan and John Ambulodto, Batangas pounded the boards, 65-29, to tally its fourth straight victory and stay close to division pacesetter Quezon Province (18-4) in the jostling for better playoff placings.

Lane, fielded for 19 minutes and 11 seconds, posted 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block to clinch Best Player honors over Apinan, who notched 16 points, nine rebounds and two assists; and Ambulodto, with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Levi Hernandez and Philip Paniamogan contributed 10 points each as 14 of 15 players used by Batangas scored.

Manila tumbled to 2-21 as Alfred Sedillo, Stephen Torralba and Redgimir Eusebio could only tally eight points each.

Larry Rodriguez drilled in a 3-pointer atop the key with 3.6 seconds left to lift the Gensan Warriors past the Zamboanguenos and a 15-9 card, within sight of fourth-ranked Rizal Xentromall (14-8) in the South Division.

Mark Cruz paced Gensan with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists; followed by Eloie Tan with 11 points; Val Acuna with nine points; Rodriguez with six points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals; and Kyle Tolentino with five points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Zamboanga got 13 points, nine rebounds and two assists from Abdul Sawat; 10 points, three rebounds and two assists from Ichie Altamirano; and 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists from Med Salim.

The Ilagan Isabela Cowboys piled a big lead in the fourth quarter before cruising to a 75-63 victory over the Muntinlupa Cagers in the opener.

The Cowboys led as far as 71-45 in the fourth quarter and climbed to 13-11, trailing Pasay (16-8) and towing Bataan (9-15) in the North Division being led by North powerhouses Abra (22-1), Nueva Ecija (22-1) and San Juan (21-2).

JR Olegario posted 17 points, 12 in the third quarter, four rebounds and two assists to edge fellow Cowboys Agem Miranda, with 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals; and Mark Dyke, with 15 points, 16 rebounds and two steals, for the Best Player award.

Buenaventura Raflores wound up with 12 points plus 10 rebounds; and Dom Matillano 10 points plus five rebounds for Muntinlupa, which slumped to 10-13.

The MPBL postponed Friday's games set at the Marikina Sports Center on Friday, August 22, 2025, due to heavy rains in certain parts of Metro Manila. Affected were the games between  Davao and Quezon City at 4 p.m., Rizal Province and Bacolod at 6 p.m., and Marikina and San Juan at 8 p.m.

The new dates of the postponed games will be announced in due course.