GenSan silenced Caloocan in the last minute to pull off a 95-90 victory and rev up its drive in the OKBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Fifth Season at the packed Sentrong Pangkabataan gymnasium in Calapan City.
Pasig kept in step by subduing Oriental Mindoro, 88-79, in the nightcap of the triple bill that heralded the league’s first foray into the MIMAROPA (Southwestern Tagalog) region administrative center and the Disiplinados’ first home game.
Caloocan bunched six points, four by Reil Cervantes, to threaten at 90-92 with still 1:08 seconds to go.
The Batang Kankaloo failed to score after that while the Warriors finished them off with a jumper by Jervy Cruz and a free throw by John Wilson, 95-90, with only nine ticks left.
Christian Fajarito led GenSan with 18 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks, followed by Cruz with 17 points and four rebounds.
Other Warriors who delivered to raise GenSan’s record to 12-4 were Mark Cruz with 13 points plus five assists and three rebounds, Larry Rodriguez with 12 points plus four rebounds, and homegrown Cristopher Masaglang with 11 points, five assists, four rebounds plus two steals.
Caloocan, which fell to 12-5, got 25 points, seven assists and three rebounds from Jeramer Cabanag; 19 points, six rebounds plus two blocks from Gabby Espinas, 16 points plus five rebounds from Paul Sanga and 14 points plus five rebounds from Cervantes.
Powered by Ryan Paule Costelo’s 38 points, laced with five triples, Pasig City MCW Sports pulled away at 66-35 before coasting to its 12th win against six losses. Kenny Roger Rocacurva supported Costelo with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Oriental Mindoro tumbled to 3-15 despite the 23-point effort of homegrown Rodel Vaygan and the 19-point output of Agem Miranda.
Marikina, with Marwin Dionisio providing the firepower and actor Gerald Anderson as main attraction, bested Paranaque, 95-89, in the opener.
Dionisio wound up with 26 points, including five triples, followed by Adzar Udjan with 19 points plus nine rebounds and Joe Gomez de Liano with 15 points.
Anderson contributed eight points in a 13-minute, 47-second stint for the Shoemasters, who climbed to 8-10.
