MPBL: Abra, Batangas hold on to lead as Cebu wallops Ilagan Isabela
MANILA, Philippines — Defending champion Abra Solid North and Batangas City beat their opponents on Wednesday to keep top spot in their respective divisions in the SportsPlus MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the Batangas City Coliseum.
The Abra Weavers routed the Bulacan Kuyas, 110-84, in the first game, while the Batangas City Tanduay Athletics thwarted the Imus Yangkees, 88-80, in the nightcap of another triple-bill in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 26-team tournament.
Abra extended its winning run to 17 and climbed to a 19-1 record in the North Division, ahead of San Juan (16-2), Caloocan (17-3) and Ilagan Isabela (13-8) in the chase for playoff spots.
Batangas quelled Imus' final rally to rise to 16-3 in the South Division, where it towed Quezon Province (13-3), Binan (17-4), Gensan (15-4) and Cebu (17-5).
The Cebu Greats trounced the Ilagan Isabela Cowboys, 80-52, in the second game to keep in line for a top-four finish and the home-court advantage that goes with it in the quarterfinal playoffs.
Mark Meneses led Cebu with 14 points and 11 rebounds, followed by Wowie Escosio with 10 points and six rebounds; homegrown Elmer Echavez with nine points and three rebounds; and Cebuano legend Dondon Hontiveros with nine points, all from triples.
Simon Camacho was chosen Best Player, however, with an all-around performance with 17 rebounds, six points, four assists, three blocks and one steal.
Impressive as the Greats were, Camacho warned they could play even better.
"I feel this isn't our best yet. This team has something more to offer," said the 6-foot-5 Camacho.
Only Jayboy Solis hit his stride for the Cowboys with 10 points and three rebounds, while Arth Dela Cruz settled for 14 rebounds, six points, seven assists and two blocks.
Dave Ildefonso, the reigning MVP, posted 23 points, seven assists and two rebounds to capture his fifth straight Best Player citation for Abra.
Alfred Batino supported with 13 points and six rebounds; Raven Gonzales, last year's top rookie, contributed 13 points and four rebounds; Jake Figueroa chalked up 10 points, seven assists, five steals and four rebounds; and 6-foot-8 Drex Delos Reyes carded 10 points plus two rebounds.
The Weavers dominated both boards, 47-30, and exploited this advantage to outscore the Kuyas, 72-26, in the paint.
Bulacan slipped to 5-16 despite Benedict Benedictos' 29 points, laden with nine triples, three assists and two rebounds; Andrei Acop's 12 points and seven rebounds; and Jeremy Cruz's 12 points and two assists.
Batangas led as far as 63-38, midway through the third quarter, but Imus turned hot in the fourth and threatened, 78-81, after back-to-back triples by Dylan Darbin and Meray Merada.
Batangas' Ino Comboy, however, drilled in a triple and Oliver Arim drove in to seal the outcome, 86-78, with 41.3 seconds left.
Rhinwill Yambing paced Batangas with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists; Cedrick Ablaza with 12 points, 12 rebounds and two assists; homegrown Nikki Perez with 11 points and four rebounds; and Jhan Nermal with nine points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals.
Imus tumbled to 3-16 despite Darbin's 27 points, six rebounds and two assists; Ian Pardo's 16 points and four assists; and John Calma's 10 points, nine rebounds and three steals.
The tournament returns to the One Arena Cainta in Rizal Province on Thursday, featuring games between Manila and Marikina at 3 p.m.; Paranaque and Quezon Province at 5 p.m.; and Pasig and Negros at 7 p.m. (Pool story)
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