Cowboys overcome Hacienderos, strengthen playoff push

Ilagan Isabela recovered from a slow start and pulled away from Negros Hacienderos, 101-89, on Saturday to strengthen its playoff bid in the 2026 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Season at the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan, Laguna.

After falling behind 11-18 in the opening quarter, the Cowboys turned the game around behind the efforts of Arth Dela Cruz and Kyle Paranada, taking a 48-36 lead into halftime before cruising to their 13th victory of the season.

The win improved Ilagan Isabela's record to 13-7 in the round-robin elimination phase of the 26-team tournament, keeping the Cowboys in fourth place in the North Division behind Abra Solid North (17-1), Caloocan (18-2), and San Juan (15-2).

The top four teams in each division will earn homecourt advantage in the quarterfinals.

Dela Cruz led the charge with a double-double of 20 points, 14 rebounds, and four assists after already posting 12 points and 10 boards by halftime.

Allen Mina also came up big, finishing with 17 points, eight assists, and three rebounds while scoring the Cowboys' final seven points to help secure the victory.

Despite his strong individual performance, Dela Cruz credited the team's overall execution.

"We are all inclined to follow the team's system."

TJ Felebrico added 12 points and three rebounds, while Jayboy Solis chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds for Ilagan Isabela.

The Cowboys also capitalized on their free-throw opportunities, converting 26 of 29 attempts from the line for an efficient 89.7 percent clip. Negros struggled at the stripe, making only eight of 16 attempts.

The Hacienderos dropped to 1-18 despite a strong effort from Michael Alvarez, who scored 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds. DJ Howe added 17 points, three assists, and two steals, while Flever Dignadice contributed 15 points and six rebounds.

MPBL action resumes Monday at the Mandaluyong College of Science and Technology Gym, featuring Mindoro against Bulacan at 3 p.m., Cebu versus Quezon at 5 p.m., and Quezon City against Gensan at 7 p.m.