Akari-Rizal capped off the first round with a bang, handing Biñan-Tatak Gel its first loss of the season, 86-80, in the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League regular season on Sunday at the Alonte Sports Gymnasium.
The win pushed the Sparks into a three-way tie at the top with the Angels and Batangas–New Zealand Bluefire Valkyries, all holding identical 4-1 records.
Akari-Rizal created separation with a 7-0 run sparked by Jhenn Angeles, Allana Lim, and Mar Prado, turning a tight 69-66 lead into a 76-66 cushion with 5:52 remaining in the game.
From there, they tightened their defense and shut down every Biñan-Tatak Gel comeback attempt down the stretch to secure back-to-back wins in the tournament supported by Aktive.
(C) WMPBL
“Well, I think we were not executing at the start, that’s why medyo I was mad with the team. Kasi, things that we were supposed to run, we did not run. But the latter part, the third hanggang matapos, we were able to run, especially our offense,” said Sparks head coach Derrick Pumaren.
“We were able to score, we defended well, we changed up our defense, and I think that spelled the difference,” he added.
Raiza Palmera-Dy delivered her best performance of the tournament with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, along with nine assists and seven rebounds, while Mar Prado added 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals off the bench.
Allana Lim registered 14 points and six rebounds, while Angeles had 12 points and five boards for Akari-Rizal.
(C) WMPBL
Meanwhile, Monique Del Carmen posted a game-high 24 points and six rebounds, while Chack Cabinbin finished with a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists, along with four rebounds in a losing effort.
Eka Soriano finished with 16 points, seven assists, and four rebounds, but the Angels struggled to get consistent production from the rest of the roster, leaving them short-handed in key stretches of the contest.
The Scores:
Akari-Rizal 86 – Palmera-Dy 22, Prado 17, Lim 14, Angeles 12, Ventura 6, Sambile 6, Candelario 6 Del Prado 3, Abatayo 0, Galicia 0
Biñan-Tatak Gel 80 – Del Carmen 24, Cabinbin 20, Soriano 16, Pacia 8, Abaca 5, Santos 3, Paraiso 2, Faraon 2, Nabalan 0, Gonato 0
Quarterscores: 20-19, 42-39, 67-64, 86-80
