Darkhorse Hold Off Late Marlins Rally to Secure Win

Valenzuela City nearly squandered a commanding lead but regained their composure just in time to edge past Sarangani 10ACT, 77-72, on Friday at the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season held at Paco Arena.

The Darkhorse built a massive 25-point lead at 50-25 before their offense cooled down, allowing the Marlins to surge back and briefly take a 68-64 lead following a 9-point run, ignited by Ken Brillantes.

However, Geremy Robinson Jr., alongside JR Olegario and Val Chauca, played pivotal roles in regaining control for Valenzuela in the final moments. Robinson scored all seven of his points during an 11-2 run, putting the Darkhorse up 75-70 with 1:30 left.

Chauca led the charge for Valenzuela with 24 points, six rebounds, and six assists, also spearheading the late-game surge that ended the team’s two-game losing streak in the round-robin phase of the 28-team, two-division tournament.

Veteran Jay Collado contributed 13 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, while Olegario added 11 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals.

Valenzuela’s strong three-point shooting proved to be a game-changer, as they hit 11 of 25 attempts (44%), led by Chauca’s five triples and Olegario’s three. In contrast, Sarangani struggled from beyond the arc, making only 9 of 40 shots (22.5%).

Sarangani, now at 1-2, was led by Carl Bryan Lacap with 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. King Destacamento added a double-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, and two assists, while Migs Pascual contributed 11 points and six rebounds.

The MPBL now heads to the City of San Jose Del Monte Sports Complex for Monday’s action, with Basilan taking on Cebu at 4 p.m., Abra facing Batangas at 6 p.m., and Meycauayan Marilao squaring off against Caloocan at 8 p.m.