Cowboys Stay Hot with Dominant Win, Yangkee Escape in Thriller

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) The Ilagan Isabela Cowboys continued their strong run, cruising to a dominant 102-75 victory over the Sarangani Marlins on Wednesday at the Baliwag Star Arena in Bulacan.

With five players in double figures, the Cowboys pulled away decisively in the second half, building a massive 100-66 lead en route to their third straight win following an opening loss in the MPBL 2026 Season’s round-robin elimination phase.

Joseph Gabayni led Ilagan with 16 points and nine rebounds, while JP Cauilan added 14 points behind four three-pointers. Arth Dela Cruz recorded a double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Joshua Guiab contributed 10 points and six rebounds. The Cowboys also dominated the boards (60-36) and outscored Sarangani in the paint (68-28).

Sarangani, which fell to 1-3, was led by King Destacamento with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Charles Callano and John Carlos Escalambre added 13 and 10 points, respectively.

**In another thrilling matchup**, Imus Yangkee survived a nail-biter, edging Bulacan 86-85 after Jordan Rios delivered a dramatic putback tip-in with just four seconds remaining.

The clutch basket came after Janjan Salazar missed a potential game-winner. The win lifted Imus to a 2-2 record, while Bulacan dropped to 1-3.

Ralph Robin paced Imus with 21 points, four assists, two rebounds, and two steals. Eroll Soriano posted 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Ghed Ong added 10 points. Airohn Acop led all scorers with 22 points, while Benedict Benedictos contributed 21 points and Mart James Barrera had 16.

Imus erased a 10-point deficit and traded leads in the final minutes, with Kenneth Castillo’s three-pointer giving them an 85-84 edge with 11.1 seconds left.

The MPBL 2026 Season continues on Thursday at the Batangas City Coliseum with three games:

- Valenzuela vs. Negros at 4 p.m.

- Marikina vs. Caloocan at 6 p.m.

- Biñan vs. Batangas at 8 p.m.