Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire strengthened its bid for a coveted outright semifinal berth in the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League after overwhelming RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT, 96-69, on Wednesday at Hoops Haven in Pasay City.
The emphatic victory assured the Valkyries of at least a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals and forged a tie with Akari-Rizal atop the standings, both holding identical 6-1 records in the tournament backed by Aktive.
With two games remaining on their schedule, Batangas-New Zealand remains firmly in contention for the top seed and the automatic semifinals berth.
(C) WMPBL
After a tightly-contested first half, Batangas-New Zealand seized control in the third quarter. The team erupted for 26 points while holding RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT to just six.
The decisive surge turned a close contest into a comfortable 76-52 cushion heading into the final quarter, allowing the Valkyries to pull away and close out the game in the fourth period.
“We were able to control the game because of our defensive identity. We were exchanging shots, especially in the first half. When we clamped down defensively in the third quarter, they had only two points by the seven-minute mark,” said Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire head coach Cholo Villanueva.
“It means we stayed true to our defensive mentality, which is what we want to use to control the game,” he added.
Khate Castillo fired 28 points, including six from beyond the arc, along with five rebounds and four assists to lead the Valkyries to their fifth consecutive victory.
Afril Bernardino added an all-around performance of 16 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and three blocks. Snow Peñaranda also chipped in 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field for Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire.
(C) WMPBL
Meanwhile, RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT absorbed its second straight loss and fell to 2-6, tied with Pasig at the fourth spot.
Tantoy Ferrer paced the Quezon City-based squad with 14 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and three steals. Ann Dampios added 12 points and four rebounds in the loss.
