Biñan extended its winning run in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season with an 84-67 trouncing of Imus Agimat VA Drones on Wednesday at the Batangas City Coliseum.
Other games saw Davao Occidental subdue Muntinlupa, 82-66, in the opener and Batangas thwart Rizal XentroMall, 70-63, in the nightcap.
Now known as Biñan Tatak Gel Beast Motorcycle GameX, the Lagunenses surged ahead, 38-24, at halftime and never yielded control to notch their third straight victory in as many starts in the elimination round of the country’s top regional league.
Jimboy Estrada led Binan with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, followed by Jaymar Gimpayan with 14 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists.
Robbie Manalang also shone for Biban Coach Boyet Fernandez with 11 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals.
With Binan in control, Fernandez was able to field homegrown actor Ronie Alonte, who chipped in 3 points in 6 minutes and 14 seconds of action.
Imus dropped to the cellar at 0-5 despite four players contributing double figures. John Rey Sumido posted 18 points, Luis Tapenio 11, Russelle Ariban 10, and Fil-Am Richard Popovic 10.
Unlike Binan, Batangas needed to work hard in the fourth quarter to repel Rizal.
Trailing, 45-47, the Batangas Rum Masters unloaded 12 points, capped by Levi Hernandez’s back-to-back hits, against a layup by John Apacible, to wrest control, 57-49, en route to a 4-1 record, the same as the Rizal Golden Coolers.
Hernandez wound up with 15 points and 7 rebounds, followed by Jong Baloria with 10 points.
Other Rum Masters who delivered were Cedric Ablaza with 9 points and 10 rebounds and Jeckster Apinan with 9 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
Although smaller in size, Batangas ruled the boards, 48-33, behind Ablaza and Dawn Ochea, who also snagged 10 rebounds.
The Golden Coolers got 15 points and 5 rebounds from Apacible, 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals from Kraniel Villoria and 11 points plus 7 rebounds from Keith Agovida.
The Davao Occidental Tigers clustered 16 points early in the fourth quarter to pull away, 74-56, and rise to 3-1.
Jun Manzo poured all of his six points while Biboy Enguio added five points, James Martinez drilled in a triple and Mark Sarangay chipped in two charities in the lethal spurt that pulled down Muntinlupa to 0-5.
Martinez led the Tigers, the 2021 national champions, with 18 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists while Kenneth Ighalo contributed 16 points and 4 rebounds. Enguio wound up with 11 points and 8 rebounds, while Bambam Gamalinda added 9 points and 5 rebounds for the Tigers of Coach Manu Inigo.
The MPBL goes to the Bren Z. Guiao Sports Complex in San Fernando, Pampanga, on Thursday, May 2. The games pit Bicol against Nueva Ecija at 4 p.m., South Cotabato against Pasay at 6 p.m. and Quezon City against Pampanga at 8 p.m.