Athletics Dominate Boards, Rout Masskaras

The Batangas City Tanduay Athletics flexed their dominance on the glass and overwhelmed the Bacolod Masskaras, 111-78, on Tuesday at One Arena in Cainta, Rizal, extending their winning streak in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season.

Led by John Ambulodto and Abdul Sawat, Batangas controlled the rebounding battle 64-28, translating extra possessions into a commanding advantage in points in the paint (72-42) and second-chance points (36-8). The victory marked their fifth straight win in the round-robin elimination phase of the 28-team, two-division tournament.

With this wire-to-wire triumph, the Athletics improved to 7-2, keeping pace with top contenders Caloocan and GenSan (both 9-0), Quezon Province (6-0), San Juan and Abra (both 6-1), and Pasig (5-1), while staying competitive with Cebu for playoff positioning.

Ambulodto led the way with 12 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Sawat added 6 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. Supporting contributions came from Kraniel Viloria (13 points, 2 rebounds), Rhinwil Yambing (12 points, 4 rebounds), and Mark Niel Cruz (10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists). For Bacolod, Dawn Ochea had 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap.

The Masskaras slipped to 2-8 despite strong efforts from Hance Lleva (18 points, 5 rebounds), Ian Melencio (15 points, 6 assists, 4 steals, 3 rebounds), Emman Galman (14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists), and Ram Masqueriola (13 points, 2 blocks, 2 assists).

In the nightcap, the Meycauayan Marilao Gems relied on Jayson Apolonio, Agem Miranda, and Jimboy Pasturan to edge the Bataan Risers, 75-69. The Gems pulled away in the final 3:57, with the trio delivering key baskets after the Risers briefly took a 63-60 lead during a 7-0 run sparked by Chris Javier and Chito Jayme.

Miranda led Meycauayan Marilao with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists to earn Best Player honors. MJ Dela Virgen contributed 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists; Apolonio chipped in 11 points and 3 rebounds; and Felix Apreku added 3 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Bataan fell to 3-5 after its fifth straight loss. Top performers included Javier (13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists), Jayme (12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists), Hubert Cani (11 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds), and Jeff Santos (10 points, 4 rebounds).