San Juan-DN Steel’s hard work in practice paid off as they avenged their first-round loss to Discovery-Rizal with a crucial win last Sunday in the 2025 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
Lady Knights head coach Ai Lebornio shared that the team hardly had any rest leading up to their clash with Perlas — a pivotal matchup that could shape their chances for an outright semifinals berth.
That determination was fueled by the sting of their first-round defeat, where they fell to the same opponent in a lopsided 59-81 loss. This time, however, they made sure to turn the tables.
“Sobrang saya sa effort ng mga players kasi hindi kami nagpahinga eh. Sabi ko sa kanila, pagbigyan nila kami, pagbigyan nila kami ng management para mas makuha namin at mas makapaghanda kami ngayon,” said the veteran coach after their hard-earned 63-58 victory over Discovery-Rizal.
(C) WMPBL
Lebornio expressed gratitude to her players for making sacrifices and answering the call, setting aside personal time to put in the extra work during this crucial stage of the eliminations.
“Kaya sobrang happy ako sa kanila. ‘Yung commitment nila, gusto nilang manalo. Nandun ‘yung effort na 100-percent,” she added.
The win propelled San Juan-DN Steel to solo first place with a 7-2 record, breaking their tie with New Zealand Bluefire-Batangas, which dropped half a game behind at 6-2.
Despite the loss, Perlas remained in contention for one of the two automatic semifinal slots with a 5-3 record, making San Juan’s victory even more significant in giving them an edge in the race for the top spots.
“Sobrang napaka-importante kasi dikit-dikit ‘yung leading ngayon eh. So kailangan namin na ma-sustain kung nasaan ‘yung position namin ngayon kasi ‘yun ‘yung makakatulong sa amin,” said Lebornio.
For the Lady Knights’ mentor, the most important takeaway was not just the result but the players’ willingness to embrace the grind — a reflection of their commitment to securing an outright semifinals ticket.
“Sabi nga ng mga players sa’kin na sobrang natuwa ako, na coach na ayaw namin dumating [sa point] na maghirap pa kami sa baba. Gusto namin makuha namin ‘to para at least nandoon na tayo [semis], nagpe-prepare na tayo para sa semis.”
