Voyagers make statement, snap Batangas City's 13-game run

Tiger Scores365

Pasay delivered one of the biggest upsets of the MPBL 2026 Season on Tuesday night, riding a fourth-quarter explosion from Rence Alcoriza to end Batangas City Tanduay's 13-game winning streak with an emphatic 85-67 victory at the Pasay Astrodome.

With the game still within reach entering the final period, Alcoriza took over.

The former Arellano University standout poured in 12 of his 17 points in the closing quarter, burying consecutive three-pointers before converting back-to-back three-point plays to turn a competitive contest into a convincing triumph. He also tallied six rebounds, four assists, and two steals to earn Best Player of the Game honors.

Christian Fajarito provided a strong inside presence with a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double, adding three assists and two blocks as the Voyagers improved to 12-9 and boosted their playoff aspirations.

For Alcoriza, the breakthrough victory was built on defense.

"Disiplina sa depensa. Kapag na-establish namin ang depensa namin, sumusunod na ang opensa," he said.

Leading by 11 midway through the fourth, Pasay slammed the door with a decisive 9-0 run before Mark Olayon scored Batangas City's final basket of the night.

The Voyagers controlled the game from the opening tip, drawing balanced contributions from Cyril Gonzales, who finished with 12 points, three assists, and three steals, Kriss Gurtiza, who matched those totals, and Lennard Santiago, who added 11 points.

The loss halted Batangas City's league-best 13-game surge and dropped the Athletics to 15-3. They also surrendered sole possession of first place in the South Division, falling into a tie with GenSan while trailing Quezon Province (13-2).

Ced Ablaza led the Athletics with 19 points and six rebounds, while Jhan Nermal added 16 points. Ino Comboy chipped in 12 points, four rebounds, and two steals.

Earlier, Bulacan breathed new life into its playoff hopes by ending a six-game losing streak with a convincing 100-64 rout of Bacolod.

The Kuyas overwhelmed the Maskarras in the fourth quarter, limiting them to just six points while holding them scoreless over the final 7:48 as Bacolod repeatedly turned the ball over.

Jeremy Cruz paced Bulacan with 20 points and five rebounds, while Benedict Benedictos added 19 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists to earn Best Player of the Game honors. Mico Dizon scored 16 points, and Andre Acop chipped in 11.

Bacolod absorbed its 11th consecutive defeat to fall to 3-19 despite 19-point outings from Desmond Price and Jeremy Monton.

The MPBL schedule shifts to the Ynares Center Montalban on Wednesday, with Negros facing Quezon City, Pasig taking on Abra, and host Rizal squaring off against GenSan in another triple-header.