Warriors notch ninth straight win, tie for top spot in MPBL standings

The Gensan Warriors fended off several comeback attempts by the Pasay Voyagers to secure a 98-93 victory on Monday in the 2026 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Season at the Novadeci Convention Center in Novaliches, Quezon City.

With the win, the Warriors stretched their unbeaten run to nine games and moved into a share of the league lead alongside the Caloocan Batang Kankaloo as the round-robin elimination phase of the 28-team, two-division tournament continues.

Hesed Gabo delivered a standout performance, finishing with 26 points built on four three-pointers and a flawless 12-for-12 showing from the free-throw line. He also tallied 11 assists and three rebounds to claim Best Player honors, edging teammate Adi Santos, who recorded 15 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.

Gabo also sealed the victory by calmly sinking two free throws with 6.9 seconds remaining.

Anton Eusebio contributed nine points, four rebounds, and two assists, while Marwin Dionisio added nine points and three rebounds. Eloie Tan chipped in six points, all coming in the final quarter.

Despite the loss, Pasay fell to 6-3 behind Christian Fajarito’s strong outing of 22 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists. Cyril Gonzales added 17 points and five rebounds, Steve Nash Enrriquez posted 13 points along with three assists, two rebounds, and two steals, while Edmund Dela Cruz and Brian Hilario scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.

In the second game, the Quezon City Black Bulls rallied late to defeat the Bulacan Kuyas, 92-83, improving their record to 6-3.

Bulacan briefly grabbed a 72-71 advantage after an 8-point surge, but Quezon City answered with a game-changing 16-2 run led by Pat Buena and Ryan Costelo to pull away and hand the Kuyas a 3-5 slate.

Costelo earned Best Player recognition for the second consecutive game after putting up 26 points, four rebounds, and four assists. He received support from Kobe Monje, who had 13 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks; Pat Buena with 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists; and Brian Rosalin with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

For Bulacan, Airohn Acop led the charge with 28 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Mon Dizon added a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds with two blocks, while Benedict Benedictos contributed 13 points and three steals. Kenneth Castillo finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, and Andrei Acop added 11 points, four rebounds, and four assists.

The MPBL action resumes Tuesday at One Arena Cainta, with Rizal facing Marikina at 4 p.m., Batangas meeting Bacolod at 6 p.m., and Bataan taking on Meycauayan Marilao at 8 p.m.