Zamboanga Master Sardines and Batangas City Tanduay notched contrasting wins in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Sixth Season on Wednesday, Aug. 21, at the Batangas City Coliseum.

The Zamboanguenos banked on Top Gun Jaycee Marcelino to subdue the Davao Occidental Tigers, 67-65, in the second game while the Batangas Rum Masters surged ahead early and proceeded to tally a 91-82 victory over the South Cotabato Warriors in the nightcap of a triple bill.

Negros tripped Muntinlupa, 80-77, in the opener.

Marcelino, the 2022 MPBL MVP, bunched 11 points in the fourth quarter to repel Davao’s final charge and lift

Zamboanga to a 17-6 record in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 29-team tournament.

A step-back jumper by Marcelino with 1 minute and 49 seconds gave Zamboanga a 66-59 lead. Chris Lalata fired four points and Kenneth Ighalo added two to push Davao within 65-66 with 12.8 seconds left.

Zamboanga’s Pedrito Galanza made the first but bungled the second of his charities with 8.7 seconds to go in what turned out to be the game’s final point as Davao’s Mark Tallo missed a triple that could have reversed the outcome with 2.7 seconds left.

Marcelino wound up with 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals to clinch the Daily Fantasy best player honors.

Galanza finished with 8 points while Renzo Subido and Jayson Castro Apolonio added 7 each for Zamboanga.

Davao, which tumbled to 15-9, got 15 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals from Mark Tallo, 12 from Lalata and 11 from Ighalo.

While Zamboanga was tested to the hilt, Batangas pulled away, 42-23, in the second quarter en route to its third straight win and a 17-7 slate.

Juneric Baloria posted 21 points, Cedric Ablaza chalked 19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks, Levi Hernandez notched 17 points, and Jeckster Apinan contributed 12 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals for Batangas, the 2018 MPBL inaugural champion.

South Cotabato, which dropped to 15-9, got 20 points from Val Acuna and 12 each from Jammer Jamito, Nico Elorde and John Paul Calvo.

The Negros Muscovados, led by Felipe Chavez, rose to 12-13 and boosted their bid for the eighth and last playoff spot in the South Division.

Chavez made 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, followed by Samuel Peralta with 18 points and 7 rebounds and Jan Formento with 14 points and 4 assists.

Also-ran Muntinlupa (7-17) drew 17 points from Warlo James Batac, 11 each from Joshua Miguel Marcos and Joshua Ramirez and 10 from Jacob Galicia..

The MPBL goes to the Bataan People’s Center in Balanga on Thursday with games pitting Bicolandia against Manila at 4 p.m., Iloilo against Rizal at 6 p.m. and Pangasinan against Bataan at 8 p.m.