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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Cebu, Pasay triumph, keep in step with QC

Cebu, Pasay triumph, keep in step with QC

Published May 9, 2026 03:36 pm

At A Glance

  • The Cebu Greats and the Pasay Voyagers hurdled their rivals on Friday, May 8, to keep in step with the Quezon City Black Bulls in the SportsPlus MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the One Arena Cainta in Rizal Province.
Dondon Hontiveros flashed vintage form for the Cebu Greats. (MPBL)
Dondon Hontiveros flashed vintage form for the Cebu Greats. (MPBL)
 
The Cebu Greats and the Pasay Voyagers hurdled their rivals on Friday, May 8, to keep in step with the Quezon City Black Bulls in the SportsPlus MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the One Arena Cainta in Rizal Province.
Powered by homegrown icon Dondon Hontiveros and high-flyer Mark Meneses, Cebu rallied to beat Imus Yangkee, 91-77, in the nightcap, while Pasay breezed past Sarangani 10ACT, 75-58, in the second game, preceding Quezon City's 102-70 thrashing of the Iloilo United Royals.
Cebu, Pasay and Quezon City tote 4-2 records in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 28-team tournament.
Flashing vintage form, the 48-year-old Hontiveros posted 18 points, all from triples, and 3 assists to clinch the SportsPlus best player honors over Meneses, who pooled 16 points, highlighted by a one-handed and two-handed slams, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks and 2 assists.
Hontiveros, a many-time national player and former Cebu City councilor, also achieved a milestone when he shared the floor with his son, Ice, in the fourth quarter.
They became only the second father-son tandem to see action together in the MPBL, following Marlou Aquino and son Matthew, who played alongside each other for the Bacoor Strikers in the 2019 Season.
Wowie Escosio contributed 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists, Paul Desiderio, 11 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists, and Simon Camacho, 11 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists.
Trailing at the half, 44-53, Cebu unleashed a crippling 19-1 run featuring Hontiveros and Meneses with 6 points each, to sway the balance after the third quarter, 77-61.
The Greats, with Ron Dennison taking charge, bunched 10 points to cut loose, 87-67, with 7 minutes and 10 seconds left and pull Imus down to 2-4.
Imus got 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists from Joseph Mark Marquez, 17 points and 2 assists from Janjan Salazar, 13 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists from Jordan Rios.
Cyril Gonzales paced Pasay with 15 points and 2 rebounds, followed by Brian Hilario, with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists, and Steve Nash Enriquez, with 10 points, 11 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals.
Sarangani skidded to 1-5 as only Larce Sunga responded to the onslaught with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
Quezon City drubs Iloilo
The Quezon City Black Bulls opened the game with a 14-point cluster and went on to drub the Iloilo United Royals, 102-70.
Tiny Ryan Costelo stood tall for Quezon City, pouring in 24 points, 15 in the fourth quarter, 6 assists and 2 rebounds, to earn best player honors over Christian Jake Agoncillo, with 13 points and 5 rebounds.
Levi Hernandez was the lone bright spot for the United Royals, chalking 36 points, including all of Iloilo's 23 points in the third quarter, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
The 5-foot-6 Costelo pumped in eight in a 10-point run that padded Quezon City's lead to 96-65 and doomed Iloilo to a 1-5 slate.
The MPBL continues at the One Arena Cainta on Saturday, featuring games between Zamboanga and San Juan at 4 p.m., Ilagan Isabela and Manila Batang Quiapo at 6 p.m., and Valenzuela and Gensan at 8 p.m.

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