Behind a stifling defensive effort, RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT overcame the absence of Tantoy Ferrer and edged Pasig, 54-49, to advance to the semifinals of the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League on Wednesday at the Parañaque Coliseum.
Trailing by as many as 13 points midway through the third quarter, RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT rallied from a 31-44 deficit and unleashed a decisive 23-5 closing run to defeat the hard-fighting Queenpin — who were also without star guard Gabi Bade — and book a semifinal showdown with top-seeded Akari-Rizal on Sunday.
The comeback was sparked by a suffocating defensive effort, as the Quezon City-based squad held Pasig to just five points over the final 14 minutes and 47 seconds of the game after the Queenpin built a 44-31 advantage with 5:13 remaining in the third quarter.
(C) WMPBL
Jeorge Panti found Andrea Aragon on a perfectly timed backdoor cut for a layup that gave RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT a 51-47 lead with 12.3 seconds left.
Pasig, however, refused to go away quietly. LJ Miranda grabbed an offensive rebound off a Lee Sario miss and converted a putback with 3.7 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 51-49.
Iris Isip then knocked down three free throws in the closing seconds to seal the victory and complete a remarkable turnaround for RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT, which finished at the bottom of the standings with a 1-9 record last season and now stands just two wins away from a finals berth in the tournament backed by Aktive.
“Though they didn’t have (Gabi) Bade, they still played well. Especially sa zone, nahirapan kami eh. But then again, the players really found a way to break the zone and because of the hustle. We didn’t give up to get that victory,” said RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT head coach Bonnie Garcia.
(C) WMPBL
Stepping up in the absence of Ferrer — who is currently in Mongolia with Gilas Pilipinas for the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series — Panti delivered a dominant double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds, while adding three assists to lead RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT.
Ann Dampios chipped in 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while Isip contributed seven points, six rebounds, and four assists. Caryl Molina added six points and nine rebounds, while Aragon finished with nine points in the victory.
Meanwhile, the Queenpin saw their season come to an end after dropping the deciding game. It was a disappointing finish made even more difficult by the absence of Bade, who suffered a right knee injury during their final regular-season game against Biñan-Tatak Gel.
Sario led Pasig with 22 points on five three-pointers to go along with seven rebounds, while Miranda added 12 points and five rebounds.
The Scores:
RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT 54 – J. Panti 15, Dampios 11, Isip 7, Molina 6, Aragon 6, Buendia 4, Larrosa 3, Antonio 2, Dela Cruz 0, Quiapo 0, Alcantara 0
Pasig 49 – Sario 22, Miranda 12, Villanueva 6, Natural 5, Mendaros 2, Parungao 2, Araja 0, Padilla 0, Tolentino 0, Cancio 0, Cac 0
Quarterscores: 15-15, 29-28, 39-45, 54-49
