Voyagers Overcome SiKat Rally, Extend Winning Streak to Four

The Pasay Voyagers survived a late surge from Zamboanga SiKat to pull away for an 81-67 triumph on Thursday at the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season, held at Novadeci Sports Complex in Novaliches, Quezon City.

Pasay, which led by as much as 18 points, saw Zamboanga fight back to tie the game at 63-all early in the fourth quarter.

King Gurtiza, Christian Fajarito, and Steve Nash Enriquez combined for a crucial finishing run, fueling an 18-4 spurt in the final 5:28 to secure Pasay’s fourth straight victory and improve their record to 5-2 in the round-robin phase of the 28-team tournament.

The 6-foot Gurtiza, a former Emilio Aguinaldo College standout who celebrated his 27th birthday on Tuesday, flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 11 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and three steals. Fajarito added 19 points, six rebounds, and two assists, while Enriquez contributed 14 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Joshua Dino chipped in 13 points and four boards, and Mark Parks added 10 points and four rebounds.

Zamboanga dropped to 1-4 despite standout performances from Paeng Are, who recorded 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals, and John Mahari, who also scored 17 points along with eight rebounds and three assists. Reggz Gabat added 12 points, six rebounds, and two steals.

Pasay seemed on track for an easy win after leading 51-33, but Zamboanga mounted a late third-quarter rally, scoring 13 unanswered points—including four each from Inand Fornilos and Are—to cut the deficit to five with 2:56 left in the period.

The MPBL action continues Friday at Victory Coliseum in San Rafael, Bulacan, with a triple-header: Meycauayan Marilao vs. Rizal at 4 p.m., Mindoro vs. Basilan at 6 p.m., and host Bulacan taking on Manila at 8 p.m.