Caloocan stuns San Juan; Pasay edges Nueva Ecija

Gabby Espinas scored inside at the buzzer as Caloocan stunned San Juan, 79-78, on Friday in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season elimination round at the Caloocan Sports Complex.

Jeramer Cabanag found himself covered as he drove in, but saw Espinas open for the clincher that put the Batang Kankaloo’s drive for the fourth playoff spot in the North Division of the 29-team tournament going.

Caloocan climbed to 18-9 and could still dislodge Manila SV Batang Sampaloc (18-8) if it wins over also-ran Sarangani (5-21) and Manila yields to playoffs-bound Zamboanga on Saturday, Sept. 28, and also-ran Pangasinan (12-15) on Oct. 1.

Joco Tayongtong also delivered for Caloocan, knocking in two free throws that pushed the Batang Kankaloo ahead anew, 77-76, after the top seed Knights clustered 8 points to wrest control at 76-75 with 41.8 seconds left.

San Juan’s Orlan Wamar, however, pierced Caloocan’s interior defense for an off-balanced jumper that temporarily silenced the local faithful will 4.2 seconds to go.

The Batang Kankaloo, who greeted the fourth quarter with a 7-point run for a 69-55 spread, however, kept their poise to pull down the Knights’ final elimination round tally to 26-2.

Tayongtong finished with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals to clinch the Daily Fantasy best player honors over Rommel Calahat with 16 points and 6 rebounds and Espinas with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

Wamar posted 22 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals, followed by Dexter Maiquez with 11 points and 12 rebounds and John Galinato with 10 points.

Pasay banked on Axel Inigo and Dhon Reverevente to stun Nueva Ecija, 65-64, earlier.

Inigo knocked in a clutch triple while Reverente scored off a fake and a fallaway  one-hander as the Pasay Voyagers clawed from a 59-63 deficit in the last 1 minute and 14 seconds to wind up at 18-10.

Nueva Ecija had a chance to reverse the outcome but Kenneth Mocon missed his jumper in the dying seconds, pulling the No. 3-ranked Rice Vanguards down to 24-4.

The Rice Vanguards did not field stars Will McAloney, Robby Celiz and Byron Villarias.

Laurenz Victoria paced Pasay with 14 points plus 5 rebounds, Cyrus Tabi with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, and Reverente with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.

Nueva Ecija drew 13 points and 5 rebounds from JB Bahio and 11 points plus 5 assists from Mocon.

Earlier, Jameson Hiro played hero as Imus Agimat nipped Bacolod, 130-127, in a freewheeling battle between doormat teams.

Hiro beat the shot clock with a triple off two defenders as Imus closed its season at 2-26. Bacolod wound up at the cellar at 1-27.

Richard Albo led the 10-man Imus with a career-high 40 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists, followed by Hiro with 35 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds and 2 steals. Nemesis Dela Cruz added 25 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals, Carlo Velasco 17 points plus 8 rebounds, and Kenneth Estabillo 10 points plus 6 rebounds.

Bacolod got 25 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds from Ian Pardo, 23 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists from Alfred Sedillo, 21 points plus 6 rebounds from Danny Marilao, 18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists from Jose Frederick Antiporda, and 17 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals from Louie Vigil. John Derico Lopez chipped in 13 points plus 9 rebounds and Jamel Ramos 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists as all of Bacolod’s seven players submitted double figures.

Imus and Bacolod’s combined 257 points tied the MPBL all-time mark of 257 set by Sarangani (134) and Nueva Ecija (123) on June 3, 2023.

The MPBL goes to the Olivarez College Gym on Saturday with games pitting Sarangani against Iloilo at 4 p.m., Marikina against Valenzuela at 6 p.m., and Zamboanga against Manila at 8 p.m.