San Juan Knights Hand Batang Kankaloo First Defeat

The San Juan Knights held off a late surge by the Caloocan Batang Kankaloo to claim a 68-60 victory in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season nightcap on Wednesday at the Caloocan Sports Complex.

Leading 58-46, the Knights faced a challenge after Caloocan sparked an 8-0 run, fueled by Kymani Ladi and Kean Baclaan. Undeterred, San Juan countered with key plays from Harold Alarcon, Orlan Wamar, and Gerry Abadiano, extending their lead to 65-56 with 2:40 left and securing their ninth win in 10 games during the round-robin phase of the 28-team tournament.

Caloocan suffered its first loss after an 11-game winning streak but maintained the top spot in the North Division. They are closely trailed by San Juan and defending champion Abra Solid North, both holding 9-1 records in the playoff race.

Wamar led the Knights with 15 points, eight assists, three rebounds, and two steals, while Alarcon contributed 11 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Reyland Torres added 11 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Dom Escobar and Baclaan narrowed the gap to 65-60, but Caloocan failed to score again, allowing Abadiano and Torres to seal the win with a layup and a free throw.

San Juan’s star center Michael Phillips grabbed 15 rebounds, compensating for a modest two-point output, which came from an early second-quarter dunk. Baclaan led Caloocan with 16 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while Ladi added 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists.

In the second matchup, the Valenzuela City Darkhorse stunned the Pasay Voyagers 88-85, evening their record at 6-6. Veteran Jay Collado starred with 25 points and nine rebounds, supported by Shaq Alanes’ 19 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and three steals. Angelo Obuyes contributed 16 points, three rebounds, and three assists.

Pasay, trailing by as many as 16 points at 82-66, staged a late rally led by Cyril Gonzales, cutting the deficit to 86-85 with 9.5 seconds left. Alanes calmly sank two free throws with 6.3 seconds remaining to secure the win, marking Pasay’s sixth loss in 13 games. Gonzales paced the Voyagers with 16 points, while Edmund Dela Cruz and Christian Fajarito scored 14 points each. Nico Quinal added 12, and King Gurtiza finished with 11.

Earlier, the Cebu Greats dominated the winless Parañaque Patriots 100-51, achieving their fourth consecutive win and improving to 9-3. Jonathan Ralf Gesalem led Cebu with 24 points, draining eight three-pointers on 16 attempts, while Simon Camacho contributed 16 points and eight rebounds. Andrey Armenion added 10 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

The Greats remain tied with Biñan for fourth in the South Division, trailing Quezon Province (8-0), General Santos City (12-1), and Batangas (9-2). Al Francis Tamsi scored nine points—all from fourth-quarter triples—while Ichie Altamirano added eight. Mark Meneses, Ice Hontiveros, and Brylle Iva Meca chipped in seven points apiece.

Parañaque, now 0-13, was led by Marlon Monte with 15 points, Ryusei Koga with 12, and Jobert Medina with 10.

The MPBL continues Thursday at Paco Arena in Manila: Rizal faces Pasig at 4 p.m., Bataan takes on Bacolod at 6 p.m., and Quezon City battles Basilan at 8 p.m.