Abra sends message with 54-point rout, stretches streak to 15

Tiger Scores365

If there were any doubts about who remains the team to beat in the MPBL, defending champion Abra Solid North erased them in emphatic fashion.

The Weavers overwhelmed Pasig City from the opening whistle, rolling to a lopsided 130-76 victory on Thursday at the Ynares Center Montalban in Rizal to extend their winning streak to 15 games and tighten their grip on the league's best record.

Abra wasted no time asserting its dominance, exploding for a staggering 44 points in the opening quarter while limiting the Pasigueños to just 14. The early blitz effectively settled the contest as the defending champions never looked back en route to improving to 17-1 in the elimination round.

Leading the charge once again was reigning MVP Dave Ildefonso, who delivered another all-around masterpiece with 17 points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds, and five steals to claim Best Player of the Game honors.

"We wanted to prove that we're still the team to beat," Ildefonso said, adding that he treated the matchup as "just another game."

Abra's lethal perimeter shooting complemented its dominance inside. The Weavers buried 16 three-pointers at a 50-percent clip, with Ildefonso knocking down five of his seven attempts and Tucker Molina adding three more on his way to 18 points.

Shaun Ildefonso chipped in a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds, Jake Figueroa added 12 points and four assists, while Drex Delos Reyes and Redel Fabro also reached double figures with 10 points each.

The Weavers controlled every aspect of the game, outrebounding Pasig, 50-38, and owning a commanding 68-38 advantage in points in the paint.

Jacob Galicia paced the Pasigueños with 19 points and 12 rebounds, but Pasig fell to 10-9 and dropped into a tie for sixth place in the North Division.

Earlier in the evening, Rizal XentroMall boosted its own playoff aspirations with an 81-71 victory over Gensan.

Laurenz Victoria and Jolo Mendoza scored 13 points apiece to lead the Golden Coolers, who improved to 12-7, while Billy Robles anchored the interior with eight points and 11 rebounds.

Despite the loss, the night still featured a historic moment for Gensan as veteran playmaker Hesed Gabo became the first player in MPBL history to record 1,000 career assists. The game was briefly paused in the closing minutes as MPBL Commissioner Emmer Oreta presented Gabo with the game ball in recognition of the landmark achievement.