Isabela Cowboys beat Mayawayan 80 to 73 in the MPBL on Friday. The hosts moved clear at fourth while their visitors slipped further back in sixth. By then the result had already shifted the momentum in the standings.
Isabela came into the game fourth with 12 wins from 18 matches. Mayawayan sat sixth, ten victories and eight defeats. The gap between them narrowed by a single point after this result.
Both sides had been winning recently. The Cowboys took four of their last five, including a 101-89 victory over Negros on the first of August. Mayawayan won three of five, most recently beating Paranak 91-80 on the same date.
The seven-point margin tells you this wasn't a runaway. And here's the thing about close games like this — the stronger team often wins by the smallest amount. Isabela kept their side in it through the final stages.
To be fair, Mayawayan's recent form suggested they could have gone further. They had beaten Pasaui 82-77 and Pasi City 105-100 in their previous outings. But on this night the Cowboys held on.
The table now shows Isabela with 24 points and Mayawayan with 20. Both teams still have games to play, but the hosts have built a cushion that won't be easy to close.