Alcoriza, Montano spark second-half surge as Voyagers crush Hacienderos

Tiger Scores365

For one half, the Pasay Voyagers and Negros Hacienderos looked evenly matched.

Then the Voyagers found another gear.

After being locked in a 38-38 battle at halftime, Pasay unleashed a dominant second-half performance to turn a tight contest into a runaway 118-85 victory over Negros on Wednesday in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the Malolos Convention Center in Bulacan.

Rence Alcoriza ignited the turnaround in the third quarter, scoring 12 of his 20 points as the Voyagers transformed the deadlock into a 75-55 lead. From there, Negros had no answer as Pasay continued to pile on the pressure.

Gyle Montano then took over in the final period, pouring in 17 of his 21 points to finish off the Hacienderos and push the lead to its largest margin at 118-77.

The victory moved Pasay to 11-9 in the round-robin elimination phase of the 27-team tournament, while Negros fell further to 1-15, the lowest mark in the South Division.

Alcoriza, a former Arellano Chiefs standout who also contributed five rebounds, earned Best Player of the Game honors after leading Pasay’s second-half explosion.

“We’re taking it one game at a time,” said Alcoriza. “This (victory) serves as our preparation for the strong teams we still have to face.”

With leading scorer Christian Fajarito sidelined, other Voyagers stepped up to provide the needed support. Cyril Gonzales delivered 12 points, four rebounds, three steals, and two assists, while Mark Parks recorded a double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals.

Brian Hilario also chipped in with 10 points and three rebounds as Pasay continued its push in the standings.

The Voyagers stayed fifth in the North Division behind Caloocan (17-2), San Juan (14-1), Abra (15-1), and Ilagan Isabela (12-6).

Negros fought behind Wilson Baltazar, who knocked down five three-pointers on the way to 21 points, while Michael Alvarez added 18 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Peter Marc Manalang finished with 10 points, four assists, and three rebounds.

The MPBL action continues Thursday at Paco Arena, featuring Mindoro against Abra at 4 p.m., Valenzuela versus San Juan at 6 p.m., and Quezon City against Zamboanga at 8 p.m.