Pasig Rallies Late to Defeat Masskara, Snapping Two-Game Losing Streak

Pasig City hit its stride midway through the opening quarter and never looked back, edging Bacolod 96-84 to end a two-game slide in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season at One Arena in Cainta, Rizal.

The game was tied at 58-all in the third period when Pasig took command, fueled by consecutive three-pointers from John Felix Corpuz and Jerome Garcia. Michael Lambino then added seven straight points, giving the team a 71-64 lead heading into the final quarter.

The momentum carried into the fourth as Warlo Batac led an 11-2 run, stretching the lead to 82-66 with 7:20 left and putting the game out of reach.

With the victory, Pasig improved to 6-3 in the round-robin elimination stage of the 28-team, two-division tournament.

Lambino, a University of Luzon standout, contributed 13 points on a perfect shooting night, going 4-of-4 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. Garcia and Jacob Galicia each scored 17 points, while Batac added 15 points and seven rebounds.

Galicia and Corpuz combined for 16 first-half points as Pasig held a 47-43 advantage at halftime, countering Bacolod’s 12-point effort from Ram Mesqueriola.

Bacolod fell to 3-10 despite Mesqueriola posting 20 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. Ian Melencio added 16 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds, while Kurt Lactaotao and Khenth Guiab contributed 11 points apiece.

The MPBL continues at One Arena on Tuesday, with Gensan facing Manila at 4 p.m., Bulacan vs. Negros at 6 p.m., and Ilagan Isabela taking on Mindoro at 8 p.m.