MPBL: A record-breaking night as Davao Occidental, Laguna win

MICHAEL Mabulac was a long-time reserve player of San Miguel Beer in the PBA, whose main function at practice was to guard June Mar Fajardo.

In the MPBL Datu Cup, he got the break of a lifetime and played his best game ever when he finished with 15 points and broke a seven-month record for most rebounds in a game in the fastest growing regional amateur basketball league in the country by grabbing 21 rebounds and eclipsing the 20 previously set by Gian Abrigo, then playing for the Quezon City Capitals.

Too bad, Mabulac’s record had to stay for only two hours as Mark Yee shattered the feat in Davao Occidental’s 68-61 victory over Pasay late Wednesday night.

Yee, an ex-pro like Mabulac, came away with his own double-double performance, scoring 16 points and pulling down 24 rebounds to set a new mark for most rebounds by any player in a game.

With Yee leading the way for the Cocolife-backed El Tigre, the team from the Mindanao region grabbed solo second place in the Southern Division of this tournament put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend and former MVP Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner.

Davao Occidental notched its third straight win and improved its win-loss record to 6-3.

Mabulac’s effort, however, wasn’t put to waste at all as Laguna pulled off a king-size upset win over powerhouse Manila, 74-68, in the first game.

This is the third straight game a lower-ranked seed squads were able to shock their more fancied rivals.

Mabulac conspired with fellow ex-PBA player Denok Miranda in the fourth period, allowing the Krah-supported Heroes to pick up their third straight win, a game behind second placer Davao Occidental in the Southern Division with a 5-3 win-loss record.

The loss was only the second in nine games for Manila, which dropped to third place of the Northern Division. —