With its bid for a second straight championship on the line, Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire responded in dominant fashion, routing Akari-Rizal, 83-60, on Sunday night at the Paco Arena to force a winner-take-all Game 3 in the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Finals.
The Sparks struck first by scoring the game’s opening five points, but the Valkyries quickly seized control with a devastating 26-4 run to close the opening quarter. They took a commanding 26-9 advantage and blew the game wide open before the second period even began.
Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire never looked back, methodically extending its lead throughout the middle quarters. A jumper by Charmine Torres — just five seconds into the fourth quarter — stretched the margin to 30 points, 71-41, effectively putting the game out of Akari-Rizal’s reach.
(C) WMPBL
“We didn’t give up. Our backs were against the wall, and our character came out. The heart of a champion,” said Valkyries head coach Cholo Villanueva after the Game 2 victory.
“The girls didn’t want to give up. They worked hard and the other guys stepped up like Rizza Lozada, Chris Bariquit, Queenie Aquino. The intangible guys helped us get the win tonight and again, like any other series, we need someone to step up, and they did,” he added.
Fresh off winning her third tournament MVP award presented by Aktive, Afril Bernardino powered Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire with a monster double-double of 24 points and 21 rebounds. She also tallied three assists, three blocks, and two steals to keep the defending champions’ title hopes alive.
(C) WMPBL
Camille Claro chipped in 14 points off the bench, while Patricia Peñaranda and Khate Castillo contributed 10 and nine points, respectively.
For Akari-Rizal, Allana Lim was the lone bright spot, posting a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.
Mar Prado, Janine Pontejos, and Jhenn Angeles each scored nine points. Meanwhile, Raiza Palmera-Dy found herself limited to just four points and seven rebounds.
With the series now tied at one game apiece, Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire and Akari-Rizal will battle for the championship in a winner-take-all Game 3 on Wednesday at 6:00 PM at the Parañaque Coliseum.
The Scores:
Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire 83 – Bernardino 24, Claro 14, Peñaranda 10, Castillo 9, Lozada 7, Tongco 7, Aquino 4, Bariquit 4, Torres 2, Calang 2, Arciga 0, Manzanares 0, Fabruada 0, Dionisio 0
Akari-Rizal 60 – Lim 15, Prado 9, Pontejos 9, Angeles 9, Candelario 8, Adlawan 4, Palmera-Dy 4, Abatayo 2, Ventura 0, Sambile 0
Quarterscores: 26-9, 51-32, 69-41, 83-60
