Discovery-Rizal head coach Derrick Pumaren knows exactly what awaits his squad in the 2025 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Finals — a New Zealand Bluefire-Batangas side that has had their number all season long.
Perlas is preparing to battle the Valkyries for the championship, and for Pumaren, there is no denying the magnitude of the challenge ahead.
New Zealand Bluefire-Batangas remains the only team Perlas has yet to defeat in the tournament.
“That’s the only team we have not beaten in this tournament so far. So it’s gonna be tough,” Pumaren admitted, recalling how both of their previous meetings slipped away despite having opportunities to win.
The Valkyries dominated their first-round encounter, 101-87, pulling away behind an explosive offensive display that exposed Perlas’ defensive lapses.
Their second meeting was a much tighter contest, but the result stayed the same — a 72-69 defeat that saw Perlas falter in the final minutes.
(C) WMPBL Images
“We were up by like ten points, last four or five minutes, and then after that we lost the ball game,” Pumaren said of their second-round collapse. “Hopefully, it will be a different result next time.”
For the veteran mentor, the difference between victory and heartbreak in the Finals may come down to composure and discipline — particularly in crunch time. With the championship on the line, he emphasized that they cannot afford another late-game meltdown.
“As I’ve said, hindi pa namin tinatalo ‘yan ‘no. We just need to be ready,” he stressed. “We just have to take care of the basketball because in our losses to them, we made a lot of turnovers, especially ‘yung fourth quarter.”
Turnovers have been the recurring issue in their matchups against the Valkyries. New Zealand’s pressure defense has consistently disrupted Perlas’ rhythm and decision-making, converting errors into momentum-swinging runs that changed the outcome of both games.
“We just really have to take care of the basketball,” he reiterated, emphasizing that valuing possessions, handling pressure, and executing in the clutch will be non-negotiable if they hope to finally break through.
Game 1 of the best-of-three Finals series tips off on Sunday at 4:o0 PM at the Villar Coliseum.
