WMPBL: Bernardino, Castillo power Batangas–NZ Bluefire past Biñan-Tatak Gel for payback win

(C) WMPBL

The Batangas–New Zealand side avenged its 79–83 loss to the same squad last April 16 in the first round of the tournament backed by Aktive.

The reigning WMPBL MVP spearheaded a decisive 13–0 run that turned a tight 75-all deadlock into an 88–75 cushion with 2:52 remaining, a late surge that proved too much for the Angels to overcome.

“We wanted to get back at Biñan because we lost to them in the first round,” said Valkyries head coach Cholo Villanueva. “So we prepared for this game because we know they came from a loss din.”

Andrea Tongco added 13 points and eight assists, while Snow Peñaranda chipped in seven points and eight rebounds for Batangas–New Zealand Bluefire.

(C) WMPBL

Meanwhile, Biñan–Tatak Gel absorbed its second loss of the tournament to fall to 4–2 in the standings.

Chack Cabinbin flirted with a triple-double after finishing with 21 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds in a losing effort, while Monique Del Carmen scored 20 points with seven rebounds and three assists.

Luisa San Juan, who hit the game-winner in their first-round win over the Valkyries, finished with 16 points and nine rebounds.

Eka Soriano, the top overall pick in the first-ever WMPBL draft, did not play in the game.

“We were disappointed because we wanted to get back at them with a full lineup. But it seems that Eka Soriano was not in the lineup due to other priorities. We want this league to feature the best of the best at all times,” rued Villanueva.

“It is just unprofessional for some of these players to prioritize other commitments rather than being part of a league that is helping grow the women’s game to a higher level.”

The Scores:

Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire 92 – Bernardino 28, Castillo 25, Tongco 13, Peñaranda 7, Lozada 7, Calang 5, Talas 3, Claro 2, Aquino 2, Dionisio 0, Bariquit 0

Biñan-Tatak Gel 86 – Cabinbin 21, Del Carmen 20, San Juan 16, Domingo 9, Faraon 6, Pacia 6, Paraiso 4, Abaca 3, Quingco 1, Santos 0

Quarterscores: 26-21, 48-40, 75-68, 92-86