Warriors and Steel Shine with Key Victories

The Gensan Warriors ignited in the third quarter to overpower the Negros Hacienderos, 102-74, on Wednesday at the Ynares Center in Montalban, Rizal, claiming a share of the top spot in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season.

Trailing by only five points at halftime, the Warriors pulled away behind Nelo Santos, Adi Santos, and Hesed Gabo, surging to a 74-51 lead after a dominant third quarter. This performance secured their eighth consecutive win in the round-robin elimination of the 28-team, two-division tournament.

The victory put Gensan alongside Caloocan Batang Kankaloo at the summit of the standings while widening their lead over Quezon Province (5-0) in the playoff race.

6-foot-1 Nelo Santos, a standout from the University of Makati, scored 9 of his 12 points in the pivotal third quarter. Adi Santos and Gabo each added 14 points, with six coming in the decisive stretch as the Warriors outscored Negros 34-16. Gabo also contributed 9 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals, earning Player of the Game honors over Adi Santos (14 points, 5 rebounds) and Nelo Santos (12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists).

Additional contributions came from Val Acuna and JM Versoza with 11 points and 5 rebounds each, Marwin Dionisio with 9 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists, and Joshua Fontanilla with 9 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds.

Negros fell to 0-6 despite Michael Alvarez’s 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. Brandney Bienes added 13 points and 3 rebounds, while DJ Howe recorded 9 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists.

In the nightcap, the Basilan Steel relied on John Wilson and Byron Villarias to narrowly defeat Rizal Xentromall, 76-73, climbing back into the upper half of the standings with a 5-4 record.

Wilson scored seven of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, including a clutch three-pointer that broke a 69-all tie. Rizal nearly forced overtime, but Joel Lee Yu’s travel with 1.6 seconds left sealed the Golden Coolers’ 3-4 record.

Wilson finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Villarias added 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Gab Cometa contributed 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. For Rizal, Jolo Mendoza had 15 points and 5 assists, Yu recorded 13 points and 2 steals, Alwyn Alday posted 12 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals, and Billy Robles tallied 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.