Negros Hacienderos vs Pasig City

The first half was as tight as the mismatch in records suggested it might not be. Negros — who entered with the worst record in the South Division at 1-18 — edged the opening quarter 23-21 and traded baskets through the second, matching Pasig 26-26 to carry a 49-47 lead into the break.

The see-saw continued in the third quarter. Pasig outscored Negros 28-26 to level the scores at 75-75 heading into the final period, setting up a decisive fourth quarter.

And there, Pasig seized control. Behind Galicia's relentless work on the boards and a tightened defence, Pasig dropped 25 points while holding Negros to just 15 in the fourth — the lowest quarter output for either side — to pull away for the 100-90 victory.

The game flipped at the start of the fourth quarter. After three periods of near-parity, Pasig opened the final frame with a defensive clamp-down that Negros could not counter. The 25-15 fourth quarter was the only period either side won by double digits, and it decided the game entirely. Negros managed just 15 points in the final 10 minutes after averaging 25 per quarter through the first three.

Jacob Galicia (Pasig City) — Player of the Match. Galicia posted 25 points and 18 rebounds for a commanding double-double. His work on the offensive glass generated second-chance opportunities that proved critical in the tight second half, and his scoring provided Pasig with a reliable go-to option whenever the game hung in the balance.

J. Garcia (Pasig City) — Garcia provided additional scoring support alongside Galicia, though full stat lines were not published at the time of writing.

Negros lacked a single player who could match Galicia's two-way impact — a gap that became insurmountable in the fourth quarter.

The quarter-by-quarter progression tells the story succinctly: Q1 23-21 (Negros +2), Q2 26-26 (even), Q3 26-28 (Pasig +2), Q4 15-25 (Pasig +10). The game was essentially deadlocked through 30 minutes — the cumulative score after three quarters was 75-75. Pasig's +10 margin in the final period was the only meaningful separation. For a Negros side that entered at 1-18, competing evenly with a North Division playoff contender for three quarters represented genuine fight, but the lack of depth and absence of a Galicia-calibre performer proved decisive in the stretch.

Pasig City improved to 9-10 in the North Division, pulling two games clear of the elimination line as the MPBL 2026 regular season enters its final weeks. The win snapped a four-game losing streak that had threatened to derail their postseason hopes.

Negros dropped to 1-19, rooted to the bottom of the 14-team South Division. The Hacienderos — in their return season after rebranding from the Negros Muscovados — have struggled throughout the campaign and face a difficult path to avoid finishing last.

A game closer than the final 10-point margin suggests. Pasig needed Galicia's dominant night to overcome a determined Negros side that competed for three quarters before running out of answers. For Pasig, this is a momentum-restoring win at a crucial juncture in the playoff race. For Negros, the fight was encouraging but the result — a 19th loss — keeps them anchored to the division floor.