Abra Solid North quashed San Juan’s final rally to claim a 76-68 victory on Saturday and retain the North Division crown of the SportsPlus MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
The Knights, powered by Harold Alarcon, threatened to take control at 62-61, but the Weavers responded with a decisive 10-2 run, capped by Jake Figueroa’s final five points, to complete a 3-0 sweep of the best-of-five series.
Abra will now defend its national title against South Division champions Quezon Huskers in the best-of-seven National Finals, which will begin on November 23 at the Gov. Andres Bernos Memorial Gymnasium in Bangued, Abra.
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Figueroa led the Weavers with 17 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals, earning the SportsPlus Best Player award over teammate Dave Ildefonso, who also finished with 17 points, alongside nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Tucker Molina contributed nine points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Raven Gonzales and DJ Fenner chipped in seven points apiece.
San Juan drew 11 points each from Dexter Maiquez, Reyland Torres, and Harold Alarcon. Skipper Orlan Wamar finished with seven points, six rebounds, and six assists.
The Knights threatened to turn the tide after cutting the deficit to 44-45, but Abra answered with a 12-2 surge, highlighted by back-to-back triples from Figueroa and Fenner, to restore a 57-46 advantage.
Torres then scored seven consecutive points to bring San Juan within 30-41 at halftime.
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Earlier, a 13-2 run gave Abra a 32-17 lead with four minutes and 52 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
The Weavers, powered by JD Cagulangan’s back-to-back triples, raced to an early 12-2 advantage before San Juan, behind Patrick Sleat, trimmed the deficit to 18-13 at the end of the first quarter.
Team owners Cong. JB Bernos and Cong. Ching Bernos were on hand to cheer on the Weavers, who also received five points from Mike Ayonayon, three apiece from Encho Serrano and John Uduba, and two from Drex Delos Reyes.
This year’s Abra squad, headed by coach Yong Garcia and team manager Chris Conwi, also features Shaun Ildefonso, Nico Elorde, Jan Felicilda, and homegrown talents Will Kean Lee, Josh Asuncion, and Rodel Fabro.
Abra, the country’s lone representative in the East Asia Super League’s 2026-27 season, also swept Pangasinan, 3-0, in the 2025 North Division Finals before blanking the Quezon Huskers, 3-0, in the National Finals.
