Tamaraws Roll Past Patriots as Vaygan Reaches 1,000-Point Milestone

The Mindoro Tamaraws flexed their dominance over the struggling Parañaque Patriots, cruising to a 119-71 victory on Saturday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan, regaining momentum in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season.

Bambam Gamalinda and Joseph Sedurifa spearheaded the Tamaraws’ attack, pushing Mindoro to a 66-40 lead before unleashing a 19-point surge spanning the third and fourth quarters to pull away decisively at 89-47. The win marked Mindoro’s second triumph in four games of the 28-team, two-division tournament.

Gamalinda finished with 21 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Sedurifa contributed 20 points on six triples, seven rebounds, and four assists, earning Best Player of the Game honors.

Rodel Vaygan, a homegrown standout, took over in the final eight minutes, scoring all 17 of his points in the stretch. His fifth three-pointer with 22.4 seconds left pushed him past the 1,000-point milestone in his MPBL career. Play was briefly paused as Commissioner Emmer Oreta presented Vaygan with the game ball in recognition of the achievement.

Other contributors for Mindoro included Mark Montuano with nine points, while Jayjay Caspe and RJ Ramirez added eight points apiece.

The Tamaraws led 40-32 at halftime, powered by Gamalinda’s 11 points, and never relinquished control, handing Parañaque its sixth consecutive loss.

The Patriots struggled offensively, failing to register a player in double figures. Ryusei Koga and Alvin Pasaol led the team with nine points each.

The MPBL continues on Monday at the Pasay Astrodome with Quezon City facing Bacolod at 4 p.m., Gensan vs. Iloilo at 6 p.m., and Pasay taking on Imus at 8 p.m.