Voyagers stun Athletics, end Batangas City's 13-game streak

Pasay strengthened its playoff bid in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season after pulling away in the fourth quarter to defeat Batangas City Tanduay, 85-67, on Tuesday at the Pasay Astrodome.

Rence Alcoriza scored 12 of his 17 points in the final period, fueling the Voyagers' decisive finish as they improved to 12-9 in the round-robin elimination phase of the 27-team tournament.

The former Arellano University standout knocked down back-to-back three-pointers before converting consecutive three-point plays to help Pasay pull away. He also grabbed six rebounds, handed out four assists, and recorded two steals to earn Best Player of the Game honors.

Christian Fajarito also delivered a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, along with three assists and two blocks.

Alcoriza credited the team's defensive effort for the victory.

"Disiplina sa depensa. Kapag na-establish namin ang depensa namin, sumusunod na ang opensa," he said.

Holding a 76-65 lead, the Voyagers closed the game with a decisive 9-0 run before Mark Olayon scored Batangas City's final basket.

Pasay controlled the tempo throughout, with Cyril Gonzales contributing 12 points, three assists, and three steals. Kriss Gurtiza matched those numbers with 12 points, three assists, and three steals, while Lennard Santiago added 11 points and two assists.

The defeat snapped Batangas City's 13-game winning streak as the Athletics slipped to 15-3. They also fell from solo first into a share of second place in the South Division with GenSan, trailing Quezon Province (13-2).

Ced Ablaza paced Batangas City with 19 points and six rebounds, while Jhan Nermal added 16 points and three boards. Ino Comboy chipped in 12 points, four rebounds, and two steals.

Earlier, Bulacan snapped a six-game skid with a dominant 100-64 victory over Bacolod to improve to 5-13.

The Kuyas broke the game open in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Maskarras, 24-6, while holding Bacolod scoreless over the final 7:48.

Jeremy Cruz led Bulacan with 20 points and five rebounds, while Benedict Benedictos contributed 19 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Mico Dizon added 16 points, six rebounds, and two steals, while Andre Acop finished with 11 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals.

Benedictos was named Best Player of the Game.

Bacolod dropped its 11th straight game to fall to 3-19 despite 19-point performances from Desmond Price and Jeremy Monton. Price also collected eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

The tournament continues on Wednesday at the Ynares Center Montalban, where Negros faces Quezon City at 3 p.m., Pasig takes on Abra at 5 p.m., and host Rizal battles GenSan at 7 p.m.