MUNTINLUPA defused Manila’s final rally to prevail 85-74 last Tuesday and gain a share of the lead in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex.
The Manila Stars moved to within 58-65 on a lay-p by Dan Sara, but the Muntinlupa Cagers countered through Biboy Enguio, who clustered five points, and Reneford Ruaya, who scored on a drive, to seal the outcome 74-60 with 4:321 left.
The Cagers tallied their second straight win and caught up with idle Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Bulacan, Zamboanga, Batangas City, Bacoor and Quezon Province on top of the 29-team tournament.
Earlier, Paranaque and Sarangani bested separate opponents to level their slates at 1-1.
The Paranaque Patriots rode on the 20-point explosion of homegrown Paolo Castro to trip the Iloilo United Royals, 92-79, while the Sarangani Marlins pounced on the undermanned Pasig City MCW Sports to tally an 82-65 victory.
Pasig fell to 1-1 while Iloilo absorbed its second straight defeat.
Enguio fired 16 points, including 10 in the last quarter, grabbed 5 rebounds and issued 3 assists to earn best player honors. The former University of the East Warrior was supported by Manuel Mosqueda with 13 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds, Ruaya with 11 points and 11 rebounds, Ian Melencio with 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, Dave Moralde with 9 points and 4 rebounds, Niccolo Gonzales with 8 points and Rommel Mangalino with 7 points. Kemark Carino, Muntinlupa’s 6-foot-8 center, chipped in 6 points and 2 rebounds.
Kyle Neypes posted 18 points and 5 rebounds for Manila, which also got 13 points, all in the fourth quarter, plus 5 rebounds and 3 assists from Sara, and 12 points and 5 rebounds from Mark Acosta.
