Cowboys Catch Fire from Beyond the Arc, End Four-Game Slide

The Ilagan Isabela Cowboys relied on their scorching three-point shooting to defeat Pasig City, 100-84, on Wednesday, regaining momentum in the 2026 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) season at the San Jose del Monte Sports Complex in Bulacan.

Trailing 78-74 late in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys went on a decisive perimeter run—sparked by Jayboy Solis and followed by back-to-back triples from Kyle Paranada—to seize control for good. The rally snapped a four-game losing streak and improved Ilagan Isabela’s record to 6-5, moving them back into the upper half of the standings during the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 28-team tournament.

Solis led the way with 20 points, 15 of which came in the second half, alongside 12 rebounds, six assists, and two steals. He edged out Paranada, who finished with 17 second-half points.

Arth Dela Cruz contributed a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds plus three assists, while Allen Mina added 16 points, two rebounds, and two assists. Donald Gumaru also chipped in 12 points.

The Cowboys jumped to an early 23-17 lead after the first quarter, but Pasig countered behind Mark Maloles, who drilled three triples, and Jerome Garcia, who added two of his own, to take a 46-37 halftime advantage.

Ilagan Isabela fought back with consecutive triples from Gumaru and Mina to regain the lead at 52-51, then extended it to 73-62 with a Mina three-pointer and a fastbreak layup from Paranada.

Pasig fell to 5-2 despite strong performances from Jacob Galicia, who posted 19 points, eight rebounds, and two assists; Maloles with 18 points and five assists; and Garcia adding 17 points and three rebounds.

The MPBL continues Thursday at the Pasay Astrodome with Bacolod facing Rizal at 4 p.m., Valenzuela taking on Cebu at 6 p.m., and Caloocan meeting Pasay at 8 p.m.