Third-ranked Discovery-Rizal moved a step closer to the finals after breaking loose in the third quarter and never looking back to defeat No. 2 San Juan-DN Steel, 76-65, in Game 1 of the 2025 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League best-of-three semifinals on Sunday at the Villar Coliseum.
Behind the steady hands of Lovejoy Candelario, Raiza Palmera-Dy, and Janeth Sison, Perlas opened the third period with a scorching 9-1 run, turning a slim 38-35 advantage into a 47-36 cushion with 6:08 left.
That decisive stretch gave Discovery-Rizal the breathing room it needed, as the squad held firm the rest of the way. They drew first blood in the semifinals of the tournament supported by Uratex, Black Mamba, Red Dynasty, Aktive Balls, and Pocari Sweat.
(C) WMPBL
“We just have to come ready and play 40 minutes, kasi ‘yung losses namin, we only played for 30 minutes. Pagdating ng fourth quarter, nawawala kami. In tonight’s game, we played really hard for 40 minutes,” said Discovery-Rizal head coach Derrick Pumaren.
“Next man up. ‘Pag walang ginagawa ‘yung isa, somebody has to fill in like si LJ [Candelario], si Angel [Anies], si Tacky [Tacatac], they played really well,” he added.
Perlas had no shortage of heroes, especially with stars Raiza Palmera-Dy — who missed their quarterfinal win over RK Hoops-Quezon City last week — and Allana Lim still slowed down by illness and struggling to find their rhythm.
Tantoy Ferrer anchored Discovery-Rizal on both ends, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks despite an off shooting night. Alongside her steady play, Anies, Candelario, and Tacky Tacatac stepped up when it mattered most, injecting energy that kept Perlas in control until the final buzzer.
Anies matched Ferrer’s output with 15 points on an efficient 5-of-6 shooting clip, adding four assists and three rebounds. Candelario, who sparked the decisive third-quarter surge with back-to-back baskets, posted a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Tacatac delivered three timely triples to finish with 10 points.
Meanwhile, Palmera-Dy struggled offensively with just four points on 1-of-7 shooting but contributed seven assists despite six turnovers. Lim, still regaining her form, was limited to two points on a 1-of-6 clip and grabbed four rebounds.
Discovery-Rizal will try to finish the job in Game 2 on Wednesday at 6:00 PM at the Ynares Center in Montalban, aiming for a sweep and a finals berth in the league’s inaugural professional season.
(C) WMPBL
On the other hand, May May Canuto led the Lady Knights’ late fightback that cut a 16-point deficit to just 10 in the closing minutes. She finished with 19 points, six assists, and four rebounds.
Janine Pontejos added 15 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Dianne Pedregosa chipped in 10 points and six boards.
The Scores:
Discovery-Rizal 76 – Ferrer 15, Anies 15, Candelario 12, Tacatac 10, Galicia 6, Sison 5, Sambile 4, Palmera-Dy 4, Marcos 3, Lim 2
San Juan-DN Steel 65 – Canuto 19, Pontejos 15, Pedregosa 10, Ventura 6, Tolentino 6, Talas 5, Cabinbin 4, Junsay 0, Panti 0, Adlawan 0
Quarterscores: 23-15, 38-35, 54-42, 76-75
