Sazon, Risers roll past Marlins to stay in playoff race

08-11 10:00

Yves Sazon continued to make his mark as Bataan's homegrown star, leading the Risers to a convincing 90-73 victory over the Sarangani 10ACT Marlins on Tuesday in the 2026 MPBL Season at the Caloocan Sports Complex.

Sazon and Lerwin Flores set the tone early as Bataan steadily pulled away, turning the game into a rout by opening the fourth quarter with a 79-53 advantage.

The victory lifted the Risers to 9-12 and kept their playoff hopes alive with the elimination round winding down.

Sazon, a former offensive standout for the Philippine Christian University Dolphins, led all Bataan scorers with 23 points, along with two rebounds and two assists.

The performance also came on a milestone night for Sazon, who became only the second player to reach 2,000 career points in the MPBL, joining Basilan veteran John Wilson.

"We just strive to follow the beautiful system of our coach (Myk Saguiguit). We're always ready," Sazon said.

Flores backed him up with 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Jamil Gabawan nearly posted a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds. Joey Barcuma added nine points.

Sarangani refused to go quietly, briefly making a late push as Leland Estacio, Carl Bryan Lacap, and Paul Sanga combined for four three-pointers to bring the Marlins within 16 points at 70-86.

But Bataan quickly regained control and closed out the victory.

Lacap finished with 18 points and four rebounds to lead Sarangani, while Estacio added 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Ralph Tansingco chipped in 12 points and three rebounds.

Sarangani fell to 3-22, while Bataan remained tied with Valenzuela City for ninth and 10th in the North Division.

With teams ranked seventh through 10th set to enter a knockout play-in for the final two quarterfinal spots, every remaining victory could prove crucial for the Risers.

The MPBL continues Wednesday at the Batangas City Coliseum, where Bulacan meets Abra at 3 p.m., Ilagan Isabela faces Cebu at 5 p.m., and Batangas City takes on Imus at 7 p.m.