The New Zealand Bluefire Batangas used a pivotal run in the fourth quarter to seize control of Game 1 of the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Finals vs Discovery Perlas-Rizal.
New Zealand Bluefire Batangas emerged on top of Discovery Perlas-Rizal, 98-87, thanks to timely late game offense in Game 1 of the first-ever Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Regular Season championship at the Villar Coliseum on Wednesday.
Batangas trailed by three with 7:06 left after an Allana Lim and-one, but then flipped the script thanks to a blistering 16-1 run that gave them a 12-point lead with 2:28 remaining.
Even as Discovery Perlas tried to pump life into a comeback attempt, with two quick baskets from Lim and Camille Sambile cutting the deficit to eight, Afril Bernardino attacked the basket to push the lead back to double digits in the final 1:26.
Five different New Zealand Bluefire players finished in double-digit scoring, led by Snow Peñaranda’s with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists.
Meanwhile, Bernardino fell one point short of a triple-double with nine points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. She also had one steal and three blocks in the all-around game.
For Perlas, Tantoy Ferrer did the heavy lifting in scoring with 27 points to complete a double-double with her 10 rebounds. Lim added her own with 22 points and 14 rebounds.
However, Rizal’s offensive options were limited and struggled to get things going in the most crucial of points.
New Zealand Bluefire will target a close out in Game 2 to become the first-ever champions in the WMPBL regular season.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.