After missing the team’s first four games — all of which ended in defeat — Stefanie Berberabe stepped onto the floor for Tagaytay-Tol with one simple goal: to infuse the squad with boundless energy and relentless hustle that could alter the course of its campaign.
What followed was something beyond even her imagination.
Coming off a triple-double just a week ago, Berberabe followed it up with the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League’s first-ever quadruple-double — a rare masterpiece of grit and brilliance that etched her name not only in the league’s record books but also in the annals of Philippine basketball history.
The former National University standout registered 20 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals in the Patriots’ 82-70 victory over Solar Home-Pangasinan last Sunday night at the Batangas City Coliseum.
“My goal was to bring energy, bring grit. I want my teammates to feel like they can bring the energy, the hustle,” Berberabe said shortly after her historic performance.
“I want to have that kind of impact on them ‘cause my team is full of a lot of talent but the way you play with your heart and effort takes you really far so I’m excited to bring that to the table.”
(C) WMPBL
Berberabe became only the third player in the country to record a quadruple-double in a professional game, joining Donbel Belano of Davao in the 1999 MBA season and Kyt Jimenez of Sarangani in the 2022 MPBL season.
Not only that, but her second consecutive triple-double now stands as the most in the WMPBL’s young history, surpassing Afril Bernardino, who recorded the feat while playing for Philippine Navy in the league’s inaugural tournament earlier this year.
Berberabe said it was definitely an honor to be in such an elite club, but she was quick to deflect the credit to her coaches and teammates, emphasizing that their trust made it possible for her to reach the milestone.
“It’s an honor. It feels good, I definitely wouldn’t have done it without my teammates and coaches. My teammates make it easy to play on the court with them. They make it fun. So it’s just fun to play out here,” she said.
With Berberabe in uniform, Tagaytay-Tol has gone unbeaten.
After dropping its first four games of the season, the Patriots immediately strung together two straight wins since her arrival, underscoring her impact on the squad’s turnaround.
And while the numbers already speak volumes, Berberabe insisted that her focus remains on the bigger picture — helping Tagaytay-Tol keep its momentum and continue climbing the standings in hopes of turning the Patriots’ season around.
“Our goal here is to win. We’re taking it game by game. Our mindset is to go in, make sure we play together. We’re still learning to gel together and get that chemistry, but I think we’re getting it one game at a time. We’re putting in the work so I’m excited to see how far we can go.”
