By ADRIAN STEWART CO

The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards tightened their grip on the top spot with a 116-87 demolition of the Bacolod Tubo Slashers in the 2025 MPBL Season at the Robert B. Estrella Memorial Stadium in Rosales, Pangasinan on Saturday, July 5.

Trailing, 57-59, Nueva Ecija unleashed two scoring spurts to wrest control and then pull away en route to its 18th straight win in the round-robin elimination phase of the 30-team tournament.

Christian Manaytay and twins Jaycee and Jayvee Marcelino bunched 15 points to break free, 72-59, before dropping 13 more points through Ryan Paule Costelo, Billy Robles and John Wilson and deciding the outcome, 95-73, with six minutes and 57 seconds to go.

Costelo wound up with 16 points, complementing the 6-foot-5 Manaytay’s 13 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

Wilson contributed 13 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Other Rice Vanguards who delivered were Bacolodnon John Villarias with 11 points, three rebounds and three assists, and Jaycee Marcelino with 10 points, four assists, three rebounds, and three steals.

With Villarias going 2 for 2, Costelo 2 for 3 and Wilson 2 for 3, the Rice Vanguards converted 10 of 19 attempts for a high 52.6 percent accuracy.

Bacolod skidded to 2-15 despite Mart James Barrera’s 16 points and nine rebounds, Miles Canal’s 16 points, eight rebounds and two assists, and Mark Ray Malazarte’s 12 points, four rebounds and four assists./ASC, WDJ