BATANGAS and Paranaque warded off their opponents on Saturday to gain a share of the lead in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season at the Batangas City Coliseum.
The Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters repulsed the Iloilo United Royals 71-64, while the Paranaque Patriots ambushed the South Cotabato Warriors 73-64, for their second straight win in as many starts in the elimination round of the 30-team regional league.
Earlier, Manila SV Batang Sampaloc wasted a 12-point spread but held on to beat Bulacan 75-72.
With Iloilo threatening, 61-64, following a triple by Mark Nonoy, Batangas responded with a 7-point run, courtesy of Cedric Ablaza, Dela Virgen and Dawn Ochea to seal the outcome.
Ablaza wound up with 18 points, three rebounds and two steals to earn best player honors.
No other Rum Master scored in twin digits with Juneric Baloria contributing nine points and Levi Hernandez, Dela Virgen and Jeckster Apinan chipping in eight points each.
Iloilo got 14 points and 6 assists from Mark Nonoy, 13 points and four rebounds from Gwyne Capacio, and 10 points plus four rebounds from CJ Cansino.
The Paranaque Patriots caught the favored Warriors napping to surge ahead 40-25, and never looked back through the efforts of Jielo Razon, Mark Yee, Paolo Castro and Philip Manalang.
Razon finished with 21 points, six rebounds and four assists while homegrown icon Paolo Castro posted 16 points. It was Yee, however, who took best player honors following a 13-point, 18-rebound, four-assist output. Manalang also did his share with eight points, 10 assists and four rebounds.
South Cotabato, which debuted with a 105-65 rout of Imus on April 10, got 12 points and six rebounds from John Wilson and 11 points plus six rebounds from Mark Cruz.
The Manila Stars clustered eight points, capped by a DJ Mitchell triple, to pull away 73-61 with two minutes and 19 seconds to go.