Heroes overwhelm Patriots, keep pace in South

Binan Tatak Gel bounced back in dominant fashion, routing Paranaque, 110-86, on Monday in the 2026 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Season at the Paco Arena in Manila.

After taking a three-point lead at the end of the opening quarter, Binan extended its advantage to six points by halftime before breaking the game open in the third period. The Tatak Gel built a 17-point cushion and eventually led by as many as 26 points at 110-84.

The victory improved Binan to 17-4 in the round-robin elimination phase of the 26-team tournament and kept the team in contention for the top spots in the South Division.

Binan bounced back from a 63-53 loss to Abra Solid North on August 1 and remained behind the Quezon Huskers and Batangas City Tanduay Athletics, both 15-3, while staying ahead of the 13-4 Gensan Warriors.

The top four teams in the division will earn homecourt advantage in the quarterfinal playoffs.

Nic Cabanero led Binan with 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Michael Mabulac added 12 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists.

Ryan Sual contributed 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range, while Jaymar Gimpayan and Damian Lasco chipped in 10 points apiece.

Paranaque fell to 2-22 despite 15 points and six rebounds from Marlon Monte. Dom Matillano and Paolo Castro scored 13 points each, while Jomar Santos added 12 points and four rebounds and Dan Sara finished with 11 points and four assists.

Binan dominated the boards, 55-26, and converted its advantage into a 50-22 edge in points in the paint. The Tatak Gel also shot 14-of-29 from beyond the arc for 48.2 percent, compared with Paranaque's 12-of-34 clip.

The tournament resumes Tuesday at the Caloocan Sports Complex, with Bataan facing Sarangani at 3 p.m., Zamboanga taking on Valenzuela at 5 p.m., and Caloocan battling Gensan at 7 p.m.