Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire dismantled Caloocan, 88-57, on Sunday afternoon at the Alonte Sports Arena to remain in the hunt for the top seed in the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
The Valkyries seized control from the opening tip, building a double-digit lead by the end of the first quarter and never allowing Caloocan to threaten.
Batangas-New Zealand dictated the pace throughout the contest and cruised to a convincing victory.
(C) WMPBL
With the win, Batangas-New Zealand wrapped up its elimination-round campaign with an 8-2 record.
The Valkyries still have a chance to secure the No. 1 seed if Akari-Rizal, which also holds an 8-2 slate, falls to Pasig later in the day.
“We wanted to end the regular season on a winning note. For us, this is just one-fourth of the journey toward another championship—finishing the regular season,” said Valkyries head coach Cholo Villanueva. “As I told the team, it’s like going up a mountain—we’re just one-fourth of the way. We have a lot of steps to go before reaching the goal.”
Already assured of a semifinal berth, Batangas-New Zealand showcased its depth in its regular-season finale.
The starters logged limited minutes, while the bench unit stepped up and sustained the team’s intensity on both ends of the floor.
Snow Peñaranda led the balanced attack with 15 points and eight rebounds in less than 16 minutes of action.
Afril Bernardino added 10 points, nine rebounds, and four assists as the Valkyries notched their second straight victory in the tournament, backed by Aktive.
Rocel Dionisio contributed 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench, while Khate Castillo and Rizza Lozada chipped in eight points each.
Meanwhile, the Lady Kankaloo suffered their fifth consecutive defeat and finished at the bottom of the standings with a 1-9 record.
Roxanne Candido paced Caloocan with 10 points, while Dianne Pedregosa and Loraine Capilit added eight points apiece.
The Scores:
Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire 88 – Peñaranda 15, Bernardino 10, Dionisio 10, Castillo 8, Lozada 8, Bariquit 7, Torres 6, Talas 5, Claro 5, Calang 4, Aquino 4, Fabruada 4, Manzanares 2, Tongco 0, Arciga 0
Caloocan 57 – Candido 10, Pedregosa 8, Capilit 8, Felisarta 6, Gonzalo 5, Camagong 4, Madrid 3, Serrano 2, Sison 2, Batnag 2, Ngo 2, Bio 0, Vega 0, Marcos 0
Quarterscores: 26-12, 49-33, 68-46, 88-57
