The Gensan Warriors overcame a hot start from the Mindoro Tamaraws and pulled away for an 87–70 victory, remaining unbeaten at 2-0 while dropping Mindoro to 1-1.
Mindoro came out firing in the opening quarter, riding the strong play of JC Recto to take a 23–22 lead after one. The Tamaraws looked sharp early, attacking inside and controlling the boards. But the game turned dramatically in the second quarter
Gensan unleashed a dominant 26–10 run in the period, completely shifting momentum. Anton Eusebio began to heat up offensively, while Hesed Gabo orchestrated the attack with pinpoint passing. By halftime, the Warriors had built a commanding 48–33 advantage.
Mindoro tried to claw back in the third quarter, keeping pace as both teams scored 19–18 in a relatively even frame. However, they couldn’t significantly cut into the deficit as Gensan maintained control behind balanced scoring.
In the fourth, the Warriors slammed the door shut. Gensan outscored Mindoro 21–18, with contributions from both starters and bench players like Nem Santos, sealing the convincing 17-point win.
Eusebio earned Best Player of the Game honors with 20 points on an efficient 9-of-16 shooting, leading a well-rounded offensive effort. Gabo added 10 assists to highlight Gensan’s superb ball movement, as the team finished with 31 total assists.
For Mindoro, Recto paced the team with 16 points and 8 rebounds, while Bambam Gamalinda contributed 12 points. However, their struggles from beyond the arc (6-of-27) and a quiet backcourt proved costly, especially during the decisive second quarter. Gensan’s ability to respond after a slow start—and dominate the middle quarters—proved to be the difference, reinforcing their status as an early contender.
Mindoro (70): Recto 16, Gamalinda 12, Bono 9, Andrews 8, Cudiamat 6, Caspe 5, Magat 4, Montuano 2, Sedurifa 2, Ramirez 2, Bancale 2, Dela Cruz 2
Gensan (87): Eusebio 20, Dionisio 12, Tolentino 11, Santos 10, Gabo 5, Acuña 5, Faundo 4, Fontanilla 3, Porter 2