CALOOCAN opened overtime with a nine-point cluster and subdued Iloilo, 91-87, in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season at the Bacoor Strike Gym in Cavite.

Jeramer Cabanag greeted Iloilo with five straight points while Mac Baracael added four in that decisive outburst that pushed Batang Kankaloo to a 7-4 record in the elimination round of the 29-team tournament.

Lorenzo Navarro canned back-to-back triples and Tony Ynot added another to put Iloilo to within, 86-91, but the United Royals fell short as there was just 38 seconds left.

Cabanag wound up with 24 points, including 8 in overtime, and 11 rebounds, while Baracael ended up with 23, including 6 in the extra period, plus 7 rebounds.

Iloilo, which dropped to 5-6, got 21 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks from Ynot and 17 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals from Navarro, who forged the extension at 77-77 following another triple at the 23-second mark.

Earlier, Laguna Krah Asia repulsed Bicol’s repeated rallies to prevail, 89-80, and raise its card to 3-10.

The Laguna Heroes erected a 45-28 spread and were never headed behind the efforts of Jerome Garcia, Paolo Pontejos and Kenneth Acibar.

Garcia finished with 21 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, Pontejos ended up with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists, while Acibar tallied 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

Bicol, which remained winless after 13 starts, got 18 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds from James Martinez, 12 points from Wowie Escosio, 11 points from Denzel Wong, and 10 points plus 14 rebounds from Ralph Jeffrey Deles.

Last Thursday, Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines banked on twins Jayvee and Jaycee Marcelino to trounce Imus SV Squad, 71-54.

The Marcelinos outscored the entire SV Squad, 26-20, in the second half and it proved more than enough to hand Zamboanga its 9th win against two losses in the single round-robin eliminations of the 29-team tournament.

In one of the rare times that he outshone Jaycee, the reigning MPBL MVP, Jayvee fired a game-high 18 points, 14 in the last two quarters, while Jaycee posted 14, all but two in the same span, as Zamboanga stayed within sight of pacesetters Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Bacoor..

Jayvee also posted 6 rebounds and 3 steals to earn best player honors at the expense of Jayvee.

The MPBL goes to the Quezon Convention Center with a triple bill pitting Nueva Ecija against Sarangani, Pasig against GenSan, and San Juan against Quezon.