Caloocan survived Abra’s late rally to prevail 63-59 and gain traction in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Sixth Season at the Caloocan Sports Complex on Friday, May 3.

The Caloocan Batang Kakaloo squandered their 14-point lead, 53-39, early in the fourth quarter as the Abra Weavers closed the gap at 59-all off a Wendelino Comboy triple with 46.7 ticks left.

But Reil Cervantes answered back with his own dagger three in the last 19.50 that sustained Caloocan’s run before Irvin Palencia split his charities en route to the team’s second win in three starts.

Cervantes finished with nine points in 15 minutes of play while Palencia chipped in five points.

Ronnie Matias topscored for Caloocan with 14 points and seven rebounds even as Jeramer Cabanag contributed nine points.

Comboy, meanwhile, had a game-high 18 points for Abra, which absorbed its third defeat in six games.

In other matches, the Valenzuela Classics edged the Negros Muscovados, 74-70, while the Mindoro Tamaraws subdued the Iloilo United Royals, 77-70.

The Tamaraws drew strength from burly Kark Bono, who posted 25 points including eight in the fourth quarter, while hauling six rebounds.

Andres Desiderio added 17 points and John Jerrick Caspe posted eight points and nine boards as the Tamaraws improved to 2-4 to overtake the Royals, who slipped at 1-4.

Valenzuela, meanwhile, hiked its tally to 3-2 and tied with their victims with Dennis Santos delivering 10 points and four boards, overshadowing the combined 25-point effort of James Paul Una and Renza Palma for Negros.