Golden Coolers rally past Voyagers behind third-quarter surge

The Rizal XentroMall Golden Coolers overcame a slow start with a dominant third-quarter performance to defeat the Pasay Voyagers, 67-61, on Saturday in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season at The Capital Arena in Ilagan, Isabela.

Trailing 38-27 at halftime, Rizal turned the game around by outscoring Pasay, 22-3, in the third quarter to take a 50-40 lead. The Golden Coolers then held off the Voyagers in the final period to secure their 13th victory against seven losses in the round-robin elimination phase of the 26-team tournament.

The win kept Rizal in sixth place in the South Division standings and strengthened its bid for a spot in the quarterfinal playoffs.

Jolo Mendoza spearheaded the Golden Coolers’ comeback, finishing with 18 points, including three three-pointers, and five rebounds to earn Best Player honors.

Alwyn Alday added nine points, while Billy Robles contributed seven points, 12 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. One of Robles’ blocks came in the final seconds when he denied Lennard Santiago’s attempt to tie the game.

Rizal coach Don Dulay said the team continues to focus on building a defensive identity while improving overall chemistry.

Pasay, which dropped to 11-10, was led by Christian Fajarito with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Renz Alcoriza added 11 points, while Santiago finished with 10 points and three rebounds.

Fajarito also reached the MPBL’s 1,000-point milestone and received the game ball used during the achievement from Commissioner Emmer Oreta.

Edmund Dela Cruz had given Pasay momentum before halftime, hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer to extend the Voyagers’ lead to 37-28 entering the break.

The MPBL action resumes Monday at Paco Arena, with Parañaque facing Biñan at 3 p.m., Marikina taking on Mindoro at 5 p.m., and Manila battling San Juan at 7 p.m.