MPBL: Cebu nips Batangas in playoff Game 1
CEBU CITY, Philippines —Ron Dennison delivered when it mattered most, drilling a corner triple with 10.7 seconds left to lift the Cebu Greats past the Batangas City Tanduay Athletics, 78-77, on Wednesday in Game 1 of their South Division quarterfinal series in the SportsPlus MPBL 2026 Season at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City.
The clutch basket proved even more meaningful for Dennison, who dedicated his game-winning shot to his late lola, who passed away on September 22.
Dennison, a former Far Eastern University Tamaraw, said he felt his lola’s guidance as he took the crucial shot that put Cebu ahead for good.
READ: MPBL: Cabanero powers Binan past Mindoro, closes in on semis
Batangas had a chance to reclaim the lead after Cebu’s go-ahead basket, but Jeckster Apinan, left open following a well-executed inbound play, missed from pointblank range.
In the ensuing scramble for the ball, Dennison was fouled with 2.9 seconds remaining.
He muffed his first free throw and intentionally missed the second, leaving Batangas with no time to launch a desperation heave at the final buzzer.
It was a bitter loss for the Athletics, who appeared to have the game under control after erasing a 65-75 deficit with 3:28 remaining.
READ: MPBL: Cabañero sets new scoring record as Biñan dumps Pasig
Batangas unleashed a 12-point surge to seize a 77-75 lead with only 22 seconds left, setting the stage for Dennison’s dramatic finish.
Jun Manzo celebrated his return to the Greats’ roster with a team-high 21 points, including four triples, along with three steals and two assists to earn SportsPlus Best Player honors over Mark Meneses, who had 14 points, 10 rebounds and two assists.
Dennison finished with 11 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals, while Dhon Reverente added 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists.
Yambing led Batangas with 23 points, including five triples, and five rebounds, while Ablaza posted 19 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
The Athletics blitzed Cebu, 14-0, behind three straight triples from Yambing before the Greats answered with a 22-2 run, capped by Meneses’ five points, to take a 22-18 lead after the opening quarter.
READ: La Salle makes it 50-50 with Ateneo in all-time rivalry record
Batangas regained control, 36-33, following five straight points from Yambing, but Cebu responded with an 11-point burst to move ahead, 44-36, at halftime.
The Athletics then trimmed the deficit to 49-51 after an 11-point run, with Ablaza scoring the final eight points of the surge.
Manzo stopped the rally with back-to-back triples, while Simon Camacho added a fastbreak basket to push Cebu’s lead to 59-49.
Ablaza and Kraniel Viloria answered with six points to close the gap heading into the final quarter, setting up a thrilling finish that eventually belonged to Dennison and the Greats.
The fifth-ranked Greats will gun for a sweep and a semifinal berth when they face the fourth-seeded Athletics in Game 2 on Wednesday, October 14, at the Batangas City Coliseum.
Meanwhile, the North Division playoffs resume Friday at the Gov. Andres Bernos Memorial Gymnasium in Bangued, Abra, with Meycauayan Marilao taking on Pasay at 5 p.m., followed by Quezon City against Abra Solid North at 7 p.m.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
