Stephanie Berberabe proved to be the difference maker as Tagaytay-Tol cruised past RK Hoops-Quezon City, 91-63, to earn its breakthrough win in the 2025 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League regular season presented by Akari, Sunday evening at the Olivarez Gym in Tagaytay.
Reeling from four straight defeats, the Patriots finally found their rhythm and broke into the win column of the six-team league backed by Uratex, Black Mamba, Red Dynasty, Aktive Balls, and Pocari Sweat.
Berberabe led the charge, making an immediate impact in her first WMPBL game with a triple-double: 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, complemented by seven steals. She received strong support from Luisa San Juan and Monique del Carmen.
San Juan scored 24 points on an efficient 9-of-14 shooting performance, adding two rebounds and one steal. Del Carmen contributed 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, along with four rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
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The win allowed Tagaytay-Tol to tie with RK Hoops-Quezon City for fifth place, both holding 1-4 records at the season’s midway point.
“I’m really proud of my teammates, my coaches, and management. We really stuck together, and we all wanted our first win, so the mission was accomplished,” Berberabe said postgame.
San Juan and Del Carmen set the tone early, sparking a 26-15 opening frame that helped the Patriots establish a 17-point, 51-34 halftime lead.
The third quarter marked Tagaytay-Tol’s biggest surge, producing a 22-6 run — highlighted by an 18-2 start to the second half — that pushed RK Hoops-Quezon City into a 73-40 hole. Two consecutive layups from Charmaine Natural and a midrange jumper from Mikee Antonio extended the lead to 79-49 with less than six minutes remaining, effectively sealing the outcome.
Tensions flared late when Claudine Santos intentionally bumped Francine Geli following a verbal altercation at the 5:19 mark of the fourth quarter. Santos was assessed a disqualifying foul after just two minutes and 24 seconds of play, while Geli received a technical foul.
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“Fulfilled kami kasi talagang pinaghandaan namin ito ‘eh. Sa practices and sa mga tune-up games namin, ito talaga yung goal namin na makuha na yung unang panalo,” Tagaytay-Tol head coach Tito Reyes Jr. said.
Natural added eight points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal, while Fionna Gonato chipped in eight points and one rebound.
The loss dropped RK Hoops-Quezon City to four consecutive defeats following a tournament-opening win. Christine Isip led the team with 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting, alongside two rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Melody Cac contributed eight points, three rebounds, and two steals.
The Scores:
Tagaytay-Tol (91) – San Juan 24, Del Carmen 18, Berberabe 13, Natural 8, Gonato 8, Cantimbuhan 5, Antonio 4, Quingco 4, Pacia 3, Dimaunahan 2, Domingo 2, Paraiso 0, Harada 0, Jimenez 0, Santos 0.
RK Hoops-Quezon City (63) – Isip 13, Cac 8, Aragon 7, Geli 7, Escotido 7, Alcantara 5, Buendia 5, Cayco 4, Camelo 3, Molina 2, Dela Cruz 2, Flor 0, Young 0.
Quarterscores: 26-15, 51-34, 73-40, 91-63.
