Abra Solid North shifted into high gear in the second half to subdue San Juan, 76-65, on Monday and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the North Division Finals of the SportsPlus MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the packed Gov. Andres Bernos Memorial Gymnasium in Bangued, Abra.
The Weavers moved within a win of sweeping the best-of-five series, bringing them closer to retaining their division crown and defending their MPBL national title.
Abra unleashed a 10-point scoring run, including four from Tucker Molina, to pull away at 47-31 before cruising to victory. The convincing win was a far cry from its narrow 59-58 escape in Game 1.
Fil-Am DJ Fenner led Abra with 20 points, six rebounds, and two assists, while Dave Ildefonso chipped in 16 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists.
Raven Gonzales was named the SportsPlus Best Player after finishing with 13 points and nine rebounds.
San Juan drew 20 points, seven rebounds, and two steals from Mike Calisaan, while AC Soberano added 15 points and two rebounds.
Back-to-back triples from Fenner and Ildefonso extended Abra’s lead to 27-18.
Fenner also knocked down a triple before Ildefonso split his free throws to give the Weavers a 16-12 advantage after the first quarter, with Calisaan accounting for 10 of San Juan’s points.
Abra maintained a 35-27 lead at halftime despite converting just four of its 10 free-throw attempts.
Game 3 of the North Division Finals is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, at a venue yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, the South Division Finals resume at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, with Game 3 between Quezon Province and Biñan Tatak Gel.
The Quezon Huskers bounced back in Game 2 at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City to level the series at 1-1. Biñan took the series opener, 83-74.
