Author: John Michael Decierdo Agustin
Photo Credit: MPBL
All day! The Rizal Golden Coolers kept their playoff spot in the North Division of Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) after beating the Imus Drones on Sep. 11, 103-92. However, it wasn’t their much-needed win that became the highlight of the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan, Laguna, but rather the historic performance of Golden Coolers shooting guard Alwyn Alday.
Alday Is Channeling His Inner Kobe Bryant
The 34-year-old guard notched a career-high 43 points while shooting 7-for-19 from the three-point line. The Tondo native also poured in 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals to go with his scoring outburst. His 43 points also happen to be an MPBL season-high for this season. Alday came close to Jeff Viernes’ record of 50 points last year, June 2023. Indeed, Alday carried the team as he was Rizal’s lone double-digit scorer. The Golden Coolers, now 14-12, keep the no.8 spot in the North.
On the other hand, Imus’ Jameson Hiro matched Alday’s energy by putting up 36 points, 3 assists, and 7 rebounds. Kenneth Estabilo contributed with an almost double-double—13 points and 9 rebounds—while Nemesis Dela Cruz stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, 6 assists, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals. Still, Imus fell short against Rizal. The Drones, 1-24, are dead last in the 29-team round-robin elimination round standings.
The Scores:
- Rizal Xentro Mall Golden Coolers vs. Imus Agimat VA Drones (103-92)
- Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards vs. Sarangani Marlins (117-80)
- Biñan Tatak Gel Beast Motorcycle GameX vs. Iloilo United Royals (97-67)
More Highlights from the Same Day: Biñan Secures 7th Straight Win With Strong Performances From Ronnie Alonte And Marc Pingris
