Iloilo held off a late Manila charge to win 101-96 and notch their first MPBL SportsPlus Season triumph after three losses. Hernandez led with 36 points as the race to Batangas continues.
Sports
BALIWAG, Bulacan — Iloilo’s first win finally arrived, and it came the hard way.
Iloilo survived a late Manila surge
For most of the game, Iloilo looked like the stronger side. They raced to a 72-50 lead and seemed comfortable, but the fourth quarter told a different story. The United Royals cooled off just enough for Manila to push back, briefly taking the lead at 93-92 with 2:14 left.
That’s where the game turned into a test of composure.. Kyt Jimenez and Levi Hernandez combined for nine points in the final stretch, helping Iloilo hold their ground and finish the job.. The closing minutes were tight, and they exposed how quickly a big advantage can evaporate once shots stop falling and defensive stops become harder to come by.
Hernandez powers key stretch; Sanga injury late
Paul Sanga added 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists, but he also sustained a hand injury late in the fourth quarter. Even without specific updates, any injury to a contributor affects a team’s rhythm, especially in a compressed tournament schedule where games come with little recovery time.
Manila, meanwhile, didn’t drift out of contention. Under Mark Doligon’s leadership, Batang Quiapo posted 13 points in the run that made it a see-saw finish. The threat arrived after Iloilo allowed Manila to work its way back to 78-79, before the teams traded pressure again until the final margin.
What the win says about Iloilo’s tournament push
Manila absorbed its third loss in four starts, a reminder that early momentum can be fragile in a 28-team, two-division format where every match changes the tone of the standings.. John Ashley Faa still produced a strong stat line for Batang Quiapo with 26 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds, while Doligon added 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists and Alfred Sedillo chipped in 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.
But Iloilo’s ability to prevent Manila from turning its late surge into a complete flip is what separates this win from a near-miss.. The fact that the United Royals didn’t panic after briefly losing control at 93-92 suggests their best players know how to close games—something that can become a deciding factor as the tournament moves onward.
There’s also a practical angle for Iloilo’s next assignment: maintaining intensity after building leads.. Their big 72-50 start was impressive, yet the fourth-quarter dip is now visible on the scouting level.. If Iloilo can fix what changed in the final quarter—offensive rhythm, shot quality, and defensive effort—then this first win could be the start of a steadier climb rather than a single good result.