The Pasay Voyagers sustained their drive toward the top with a 65-59 victory over the Rizal XentroMall Golden Coolers in the OKBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Fifth Season at the Cuneta Astrodome late Thursday.
It was the fifth straight win for the Voyagers after dropping their first two in the single round-robin elimination round of the 29-team tournament.
Makati OKBet Kings, on the other hand, stunned Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines, 95-75, behind the second-half explosion of Emman Calo and Billy Robles to share the limelight with the Voyagers.
Calo fired 10 points and Robles added eight, outscoring the entire Zamboanga crew, 18-14, in that span as the Kings broke off from a 61 tie after the third quarter to raise their card, 4-2.
Calo and Robles wound up with 16 points each to complement the efforts of Matthew Daves and JC Cullar, who delivered 20 and 19 points, respectively, for Makati Coach Don Dulay.
Cullar added nine assists and five rebounds to earn best player honors while Daves also grabbed six rebounds.
Not to be outdone, Robles snagged eight rebounds and issued five assists for Makati, which dealt Zamboanga — the 2023 Preseason Invitationals champion — its second loss in seven starts.
Unlike Makati, Pasay was pressed by Rizal until the home stretch.
Barely ahead, 60-59, with 45 seconds to go, the Voyagers blanked the Golden Coolers the rest of the way while dropping five points on a lay-up by AJ Coronel, a free throw by Alejandro Inigo and two more free throws by Dhon Reverente, who pooled 17 points, 14 rebounds and three steals.
Coronel, former star of University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, ended up with 14 points and nine rebounds for Pasay Coach Marlon Martin.
Rizal, which dipped to 2-6, got 14 points from Edgar Charcos and 11 points plus 11 rebounds from Troy Mallillin.
