Cabanero Explodes Late as Biñan Heroes Extend Streak to Eight

Biñan Tatak Gel leaned on a scorching fourth-quarter performance from Nic Cabanero to edge the Meycauayan Marilao Gems, 70-64, on Saturday at the packed Pola Gymnasium in Oriental Mindoro. The victory extended Biñan’s winning streak to eight games and pushed their record to 11-3 in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season.

The 6-foot-2 Cabanero, a former University of Santo Tomas standout, caught fire in the final period, pouring in 11 of his game-high 18 points — including back-to-back triples — to lead the Heroes to victory. He also contributed nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals in nearly 25 minutes of action and was named Best Player of the Game.

Cabanero outshone Carlo Lastimosa, who paced the Gems with 18 points and three rebounds. Pamboy Raymundo added 11 points and five rebounds for Biñan, while Warren Bonifacio and Kenny Roger Rocacurva each chipped in six points.

A power outage briefly interrupted play in the third quarter, but Biñan seized control upon resumption with a 6-0 run, highlighted by four points from Raymundo, to take a 40-38 lead. The Gems briefly responded with back-to-back triples from Joshua Guiab to regain the lead at 41-40 and 45-44, but Cabanero responded with five straight points in another decisive 6-0 spurt that gave Biñan the lead for good.

For Meycauayan, which slipped to 8-5 in the North Division, Agem Miranda led the way with 15 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Shawn Argente’s triple helped spark a 13-4 run that gave the Gems a 29-26 halftime advantage.

Biñan now trails only Quezon Province (9-0), GenSan (12-2), and Batangas (11-2) in the tight South Division standings.

MPBL Commissioner Emmerson Oreta and Pola Mayor Jennifer “Ina Alegre” Cruz, owner of the Mindoro Tamaraws, were among the big crowd that included fans from Calapan City and Occidental Mindoro.

The MPBL returns to action on Monday at the Ynares Center in Pasig, with matchups: Imus vs. Basilan (4 p.m.), Pasay vs. Bacolod (6 p.m.), and Quezon Province vs. Abra (8 p.m.).