Paranaque's outside gunners clicked in the fourth quarter as the Patriots subdued the Iloilo United Royals, 72-66, on Thursday, April 18, and shared the lead in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season at the Caloocan Sports Complex.

Getting a triple each from JR Villanueva, JP Sarao, Keith Pido and Jielo Razon, the Patriots surged ahead, 70-69, with only 2 minutes and 17 seconds left en route to their third win in as many starts in the elimination round of the country's top regional league.

Villanueva fiinished with 19 points, including seven in the last ten minutes, followed by Pido with 17 as Paranaque matched the 3-0 slates of Zamboanga and Negros.

Razon contributed 10 points plus seven boards, while veteran Mark Yee wound up with nine points plus a game-high 13 rebounds. Sarao came up with nine points plus four rebounds while Philip Manalang ably orchestrated the Patriots' plays with 10 assists to go with six rebounds and three points.

Iloilo staged its final rally behind CJ Cansino and Mark Nonoy in the last 2 minutes, but could only make the gap closer.

Cansino tallied 21 points, eight rebounds and two steals, while Nonoy posted 21 points, four steals and two rebounds for Iloilo, which fell to 1-2.

Earlier, AC Soberano powered debuting San Juan to a 101-73 rout of Marikina.

The former NCAA three-point king started San Juan's fourth quarter blitz with a halfcourt heave then drilled in four more triples in a 16-point run that pushed the Knights beyond reach of the Shoemasters, 94-61, with only 5 minutes and 42 seconds to go.

Soberano wound up with 22 points, spiked by 7 triples, three assists, two rebounds and a steal to earn best player honors. The former San Beda hotshot was supported by Michael Malonzo with 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists, Zach Huang with 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Dexter Maiquez with 10 points plus three rebounds.

Marikina, which dropped to 0-4, got 13 points, six rebounds and three steals from Joe Gomez De Liano, 11 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals from Eloie Tan, and 10 points from Jethro Escoto.

The MPBL returns to the Cuneta Astrodome on Friday with another triple-bill. South Cotabato tackles Muntinlupa at 4 p.m., Batangas battles Imus at 6 p.m., and Davao clashes with Pasay at 8 p.m.