MANILA – The Basilan Starhorse Viva Portmasters tightened the already jam-packed South Division race in the 2025 MPBL Season after notching their seventh consecutive victory with a dominant 70-51 triumph over the Marikina Shoemasters on Tuesday night at the Paco Arena.
The Portmasters improved to 17-11, pulling level with the Gensan Warriors, Binan Tatak Gel Beast Motorcycle Tires GameX, and Zamboanga Sikat in the battle for the coveted fourth spot in the division standings.
Jimboy Pasturan spearheaded Basilan’s charge with 20 points on five triples along with six assists and two steals, earning Player of the Game honors. Lorenzo Navarro provided steady backcourt support with 14 points, seven dimes, and four rebounds.
The two combined to fuel a decisive third-quarter run that ballooned Basilan’s lead to 57-35, effectively shutting the door on Marikina’s hopes of a comeback.
Jervy Cruz added nine markers and seven boards, while Sherwin Concepcion, Gab Dagangon, and Adrian Santos chipped in six apiece as the Portmasters buried 15-of-31 three-pointers for an impressive 48.4 percent clip.
Marikina, which dropped to 4-24, leaned on Jay Yutuc’s 12 points and three rebounds but failed to match Basilan’s firepower from long distance, shooting just 41.2 percent from deep.
In the other game, the Cebu Greats kept their play-in hopes alive after closing their elimination campaign with an 80-71 win over the Bacolod Slashers.
Limeul Tampos led the Greats with 13 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while Jun Manzo finished with 12 markers. Paul Desiderio tallied eight points and eight boards, and Mark Meneses controlled the paint with 19 rebounds.
Bacolod, now also at 4-24, drew 13 points, eight rebounds, and five assists from Mark Ray Dubouzet, 11 from John Lemuel Peralta, and 10 from Miles Canal.
Cebu wrapped up its schedule at 11-18, but its play-in fate hinges on Sarangani’s final assignment against Caloocan. A Sarangani loss would punch the Greats’ ticket to the next phase./PN
