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MANILA, Philippines — The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards banked on Jaycee Marcelino's explosion to subdue the Pasay Voyagers, 84-72, on Monday in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season at the Robert Estrella Sr. Memorial Memorial Gym in Rosales, Pangasinan.
With the Voyagers knotting the count at 70, Marcelino flashed the form that made him the 2022 league Most Valuable Player, bunching eight points in a 14-point run that sealed the win for the 2022 MPBL champion Rice Vanguards, 84-70, with 1:10 to go.
Marcelino wound up with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block, yielding Best Player honors to teammate Ralph Tansingco, who posted 18 points, seven rebounds and one steal in Nueva Ecija's first game of the MPBL's seventh season.
Jammer Jamito provided support with 13 points, three steals and two rebounds, and so did Billy Robles with eight points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals; and John Byron Villarias with eight points and two rebounds.
The Voyagers drew 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal rom Cyrus Tabi; 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal from Warren Bonifacio; 10 points and 10 rebounds from AJ Coronel; and 10 points from homegrown Brian Wendel Hilario.
The Pangasinan Heatwaves shut down the Bataan Risers in the last two minutes to prevail, 95-86, in the nightcap.
Trailing the Risers, 84-86, the Heatwaves turned hot through Michael Mabulac, Vic Manuel, Lervin Flores and Michael DiGregorio to win their first assignment at home.
Manuel lived up to the hype in his MPBL debut, coming through with 23 points, three assists, two rebounds, one steal and one block and clinching Best Player honors over Jorey Napoles, who tallied 20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and one steal.
Mabulac chalked 10 points, 13 rebounds and three assists. DiGregorio notched 11 points, three rebounds and two assists; and Ralph Robin 11 points plus two rebounds.
Bataan, which led for nearly 26 minutes, drew 12 points each from Jeff Santos and Yves Sazon and 11 from Chris Javier and Robbi Darang.
Imus Braderhood rode the hot hands of Jhon Jerrick Caspe in the fourth quarter to stun the Mindoro Tamaraws, 83-75, in the opener.
Caspe, a former homegrown of Mindoro, poured 15 of his game-high 19 points in that span to eclipse the Tamaraws' 14-point total and lift Imus to victory after trailing throughout the first three quarters and by as far as 38-52.
In addition, Caspe posted seven rebounds, five assists and three assists to earn Best Player honors over teammates Mark Anthony Doligon, who notched 20 points, 12 rebounds and two steals; and Regie Boy Basibas, who finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Jaypee Belencion contributed 11 points, four rebounds and four assists; while Jayvee Dela Cruz chipped in nine points, five assists and four rebounds for Imus, which took control, 67-64, after a triple by Belencion and seven straight points by Caspe.
Mindoro got 14 points each from Ken Bono and Wendelino Comboy, and nine from Jun Manzo and Bambam Gamalinda.
The Tamaraws erected a 41-32 halftime lead despite the 11-point effort of Doligon.
The MPBL visits the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig on Tuesday with games pitting Manila Batang Quiapo against Marikina at 4 p.m., Bulacan against Quezon TODA Aksyon at 6 p.m., and Rizal Xentromall against Basilan Viva at 8 p.m.
