Nueva Ecija dumped Bulacan, 105-66, on Friday to share the lead in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila.
Showing the form that made them the 2022 MPBL champions, the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards kept pounding till the end to tally their sixth straight victory in as many starts that put them in the company of the San Juan Knights and the Quezon Huskers.
JB Bahio led Nueva Ecija with 17 points and 6 rebounds, followed by Emman Calo with 14 points, and Ryan Maguilano and Ryan Paule Costelo with 11 each.
Bulacan, which sank to 1-8, got 11 points each from Andrei Simon Dada and Kristan Hernandez and 10 from Nino Ibanez.
The Rice Vanguards of Coach Don Dulay ruled the boards, 53-20, which they translated to 54 points against only 24 for the Kuyas.
Earlier, the Sarangani Marlins leaned on Ryan Isaac Sual’s hot hands and King Zean Destacamento’s triple-double to subdue Imus Agimat VA Drones, 106-101, and improve to 2-6.
Sual tallied 25 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals to complement the 15-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist, 4-block output of the 6-foot-5 Destacamento.
Homegrown Jomar Madayag tallied 18 points and 10 rebounds while Yukihiro Kawamura and Gino Jumao-as contributed 10 points each for the Marlins.
Imus tumbled to 0-8 despite the 31-point, 7-rebound effort of John Rey Sumido, the 13-point, 18-rebound output of Luis Tapenio and the 11-point and 11-rebound contribution of Eugene Gonzales.
The MPBL returns to the Calasiao Sports Complex on Saturday with a triple bill pitting Muntinlupa against Bataan at 4 p.m., Davao against Rizal at 6 p.m. and Binan against Pangasinan at 8 p.m.