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A Hail Mary shot saved Davao, while Quezon got a reprieve from a missed free throw as they squeezed out overtime victories over Bataan and Zamboanga, respectively, in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season on Monday at the Orion Sports Complex in Bataan.
Jun Manzo’s desperation heave way beyond midcourt went in at the final buzzer, enabling the Davao Occidental Tigers to forge an extension and edge the Bataan Risers, 90-89, for their fourth win against a loss in the round-robin elimination phase of the 29-team tournament.
That improbable connection stunned the hometown crowd, who were jubilant after the Risers bunched 11 points, seven by Yves Sason, capped by a Jonnel Lastimosa triple from the deep corner, to wrest control at 77-76. Kenneth Ighalo finally broke Davao’s nearly 5-minute scoreless spell with 26.2 seconds to go, only for Sazon to drive in. Robbi Darang added two charities for an 81-78 Bataan lead with only 1.5 seconds left.
But then Manzo intervened, and Davao eventually pulled down Bataan to a 3-3 card.
Manzo scored 14 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal to clinch best player honors over Arth Dela Cruz, who scored 12 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, and three steals.
Zamboanga Master Sardines could have beaten Quezon Province in regulation play. Still, Jayvee Marcelino flubbed the first of two charities, enabling the Huskers to knot the count on a buzzer-beater drive by LJ Gonzales before controlling the extension, 82-77.
The Huskers climbed to 3-3 behind Gonzales’s 17-point effort, Will Gozum’s 16 points, and Judel Fuentes’s 12 points, including four in extra time. Zamboanga suffered its first loss in six games despite Jaycee Marcelino’s 25 points and Adrian Santos’s 14 points.
In the opener, the Manila Stars weathered the Sarangani Marlins’ final rally to win 90-87, lifting their record to 4-2.
With the score tied at 84, Enzo Navarro, Ira Bataller, and Pao Javelona combined for six points to negate the Marlins’ three charities. The Marlins slid to 1-5 despite getting 17 points each from Coy Alves and Bryan Isaac Saul.
Carl Bryan Cruz led Manila SV Batang Sampaloc with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists, followed by Fil-Am CJ Mitchell and veteran Rabeh Al-Hussaini, who got ejected for a disqualifying foul in the third quarter, with 14 points each. Ahmad Hanapi contributed 10 points for the Stars.
The MPBL returns to the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga on Tuesday, May 7. Games on tap are Nueva Ecija against Imus at 4 p.m., Binan against Valenzuela at 6 p.m., and Pampanga against Muntinlupa at 8 p.m.
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