MANILA – Basilan Starhorse Viva Portmasters stormed into the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) South Division playoffs on a blazing note, clinching the No. 4 seed after crushing the Quezon City Galeries Taipans, 94-81, on Saturday night at the Ynares Center in Montalban, Rizal.
The victory not only stretched Basilan’s winning streak to eight games but also capped its elimination round campaign with an 18-11 record — enough to leapfrog the Gensan Warriors via head-to-head tiebreaker and secure homecourt advantage in their best-of-three quarterfinals duel.
The Portmasters came out firing, racing to a 27-16 first-quarter lead and never looked back. Their torrid three-point shooting proved decisive, drilling 15 triples on efficient clips that left the Taipans trailing in double digits for most of the contest.
Sherwin Concepcion led the way with 16 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while veteran big man Jervy Cruz delivered a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double. Adrian Santos tallied 13 points and four assists, Arwind Santos added 12 markers, six boards, and three steals, and playmaker Alex Cabagnot contributed 11 points, six dimes, and five rebounds.
Cruz shot the lights out from deep, burying four of five attempts, while Concepcion sank four triples and Cabagnot drilled three as Basilan’s snipers overwhelmed Quezon City’s paltry 8-of-37 clip from long range.
Despite the Taipans’ struggles, Vincent Cunanan finished with 14 points, Jeff Javillonar managed a double-double of 10 points and 15 rebounds, and Jayson Puray, Niño Ibañez, and John Karlo Casino chipped in 12 points each. But Quezon City still absorbed its 10th loss in its last 11 outings to fall to 7-21 and crash out of playoff contention.
With momentum on their side, the Portmasters now turn their focus to their quarterfinal clash against the Warriors./PN
