Discovery-Rizal secured its third consecutive victory after dispatching San Juan, 81-59, to close the first round of the 2025 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League regular season presented by Akar on Sunday evening at the Olivarez Gym in Tagaytay.
After a slow start, Perlas continued their resurgence by banking on veterans Raiza Palmera-Dy, Allana Lim, and Tantoy Ferrer to notch their third win in five outings in the six-team league backed by Uratex, Black Mamba, Red Dynasty, Aktive Balls, and Pocari Sweat.
The win allowed Discovery-Rizal to force a three-way tie for third place with Solar Home-Pangasinan and San Juan, all sporting identical 3-2 records heading into the second round.
(C) WMPBL
“Kailangan ko maging consistent, especially sa practice para ready na pagdating ng game. And kailangan ko sundin kung ano ‘man ituro gusto ipagawa ni coach Derrick Pumaren sa amin,” said Lim, who finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
After a back-and-forth opening quarter, Discovery-Rizal took control in the second frame, outscoring San Juan 29-22. A late 9-3 spurt by Ferrer and Lim gave Perlas a 12-point cushion, 45-33, at halftime.
That surge set the tone for the rest of the game. Discovery-Rizal maintained its composure in the third quarter, with timely baskets from Angel Anies, Lim, and Palmera-Dy extending the lead to 63-50 entering the final period.
San Juan attempted one last rally as a layup by Janine Pontejos trimmed the deficit to 63-52, but Lim responded with seven points during a 14-0 run that widened the gap to 77-52 with under four minutes remaining, effectively sealing the outcome.
Discovery-Rizal dominated across the stat sheet, outrebounding San Juan (54-39), dishing more assists (26-9), and racking up superior numbers in steals (24-15) and blocks (7-1).
Ferrer once again led the way with 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block. Palmera-Dy registered a double-double of 14 points and 11 assists alongside six rebounds and seven steals.
Meanwhile, Anies chipped in 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting with four rebounds, three steals, and an assist.
(C) WMPBL
The victory handed the Lady Knights — who opened the season with a spotless 3-0 record — their second straight defeat, dropping them to third place with a 3-2 card at the end of the first round.
San Juan’s setback also cemented New Zealand Blufire-Batangas’ hold of the top spot after their 100-61 rout of Solar Home-Pangasinan earlier in the day.
Pontejos was the lone bright spot for San Juan, finishing with 22 points on 5-of-11 shooting, along with nine rebounds, four steals, one block, and one assist.
The Scores:
Discovery-Rizal (81) – Ferrer 20, Lim 18, Palmera-Dy 14, Anies 12, Sambile 7, Candelario 4, Tacatac 3, Sison 3.
San Juan (59) – Pontejos 22, Talas 8, Ventura 5, Cabinbin 4, Panti 4, Adlawan 4, Tolentino 4, Mendaros 4, Pedregosa 2, Junsay 2, Paras 0.
Quarterscores: 16-11, 45-33, 63-50, 81-59.
