MANILA — Negrense cager Jeff Manday unleashed a scoring explosion as Caloocan Batang Kankaloo overwhelmed the struggling Iloilo United Royals, 121-49, to seize the solo lead in the SportsPlus MPBL 2026 Season at the Caloocan Sports Complex.
The former Meralco Bolts guard powered Batang Kankaloo’s relentless assault with 37 points, six rebounds, five assists, and five steals as Caloocan stretched its unbeaten run to seven games.
Caloocan imposed its dominance early and never looked back, opening a commanding 72-34 advantage after three quarters before burying Iloilo under a devastating fourth-quarter barrage for one of the league’s most lopsided victories this season.
Manday’s all-around brilliance earned him the SportsPlus Best Player of the Game honors.
“We are gaining chemistry through our practices,” said Manday.
Negrense Jeramer Cabanag and Paul Casin added 13 points and two rebounds apiece for Batang Kankaloo, which also got eight points each from Dom Escobar, Eric Camson, and Jammer Jamito.
The loss sent the United Royals crashing to a 1-6 record, with EJ Perez emerging as Iloilo’s lone bright spot after tallying 12 points, two rebounds, and two assists.
Carl Sumalacay chipped in 10 points, four rebounds, and two assists for the Royals, who struggled to keep pace against the league-leading Caloocan squad.
Meanwhile, Cebu Greats continued their winning streak with a 109-94 triumph over Sarangani 10ACT Marlins in the second game.
High-flyer Mark Meneses starred anew with 25 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks as Cebu notched its third straight victory to improve to 5-2.
In the opener, defending champion Abra Solid North Weavers debuted prized recruit Jake Figueroa in style and dismantled Imus Yangkee, 113-75.
The 6-foot-3 Figueroa delivered 14 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists in just 16 minutes and 22 seconds of action as Abra raised its record to 4-1./PN
