Quezon Huskers Halt San Juan Knights to Maintain South Division Lead in MPBL
AI-assisted original article by 1news, based on reporting from Philstar.com. Featured image credited to the source.
The Quezon Huskers subdued the San Juan Knights' potent offense to secure a 78-71 victory on Thursday, preserving their top position in the SportsPlus MPBL 2025 Season South division at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan. This win marked Quezon's sixth consecutive triumph, improving their round-robin elimination record to 13-2 in the 26-team, two-division tournament.
Quezon established a critical lead late in the game when Christian Pagaran and Mon Abundo combined around a drive by San Juan's Gerry Abadiano to push the score to 71-61 with just over four minutes remaining. Despite a late rally by the Knights, including a three-pointer from Orlan Wamar and free throws by Abundo, Quezon maintained control. Cyrus Tabi responded with two free throws, and Pagaran split his free throws to extend the lead to 76-68 with less than a minute left, effectively sealing the game and dispersing the pro-San Juan crowd.
Cedrick Manzano, a key player for Quezon and a gold medalist with Gilas Pilipinas at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, led his team with 14 points and 12 rebounds, earning Best Player honors over Michael Canete, who contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds for San Juan. Manzano emphasized the team's resilience and adherence to their game plan as pivotal to their success.
Supporting Quezon's effort were Judel Fuentes, who added nine points and three rebounds; Cyrus Tabi, who contributed six points, 11 assists, and two rebounds; and Christian Pagaran, who finished with eight points and four rebounds. Their collective performance helped stifle San Juan's offense throughout the match.
San Juan's 13-game winning streak was snapped, dropping their record to 15-2 in the North Division. The Knights were notably affected by the absence of Michael Phillips, who recently signed with Japan's B. League, and the departure of Gerry Abadiano, who played his final game before joining the Korean Basketball League. The team also missed the presence of head coach Alex Angeles.
Despite these challenges, San Juan received solid contributions from Michael Calisaan, who scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds; Raul Soyud, who added 10 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks; and Orlan Wamar, who posted 10 points, five assists, and four rebounds.
In other matches, the Cebu Greats continued their resurgence with an 87-74 win over the Marikina Shoemasters. Led by Limuel Tampus and Alfrancis Tamsi, Cebu pulled away decisively after leading 70-52, marking their second consecutive victory following two home losses. Tampus earned Best Player honors with 20 points, six rebounds, and three assists, while Tamsi contributed 19 points and two rebounds. Marikina, now 7-14, was paced by Deo Timajo's 20 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.
Meanwhile, the Basilan Steel dominated the Manila Batang Quiapo 102-89 in the opening game. Byron Villarias stood out with 35 points, including eight three-pointers, and six rebounds, securing Best Player accolades. Basilan improved to 10-11, reclaiming the eighth spot in the South Division. Supporting players included Neil Owens with 14 points and four rebounds, Jervy Cruz with 13 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, and John Wilson with 11 points, three rebounds, and two assists.
Manila, struggling with a 2-18 record, received notable performances from John Ashley Faa, who scored 29 points with 11 assists and eight rebounds; Alfred Sedillo, who added 21 points, nine rebounds, and three assists along with defensive stats; Joe Gomez De Liano, who posted 16 points and 12 rebounds; and Mark Doligon, who contributed 13 points and six rebounds.
The MPBL tournament is set to continue at the One Arena Cainta on Friday, featuring matchups between Bataan and Manila at 3 p.m., Caloocan and Sarangani at 5 p.m., and Bulacan and Valenzuela at 7 p.m.