Camille Naredo

Tantoy Ferrer of Discovery-Rizal in action against San Juan-DN Steel in Game 1 of the semifinals of the 2025 Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL), October 19, 2025 at the Villar Coliseum. Handout/WMPBL

Tantoy Ferrer of Discovery-Rizal in action against San Juan-DN Steel in Game 1 of the semifinals of the 2025 Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL), October 19, 2025 at the Villar Coliseum.

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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1760891578835WMPBL 2025 1st Reg Rizal vs San Juan_FERRER Tantoy-06657.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Tantoy Ferrer of Discovery-Rizal in action against San Juan-DN Steel in Game 1 of the semifinals of the 2025 Women&#x27;s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL), October 19, 2025 at the Villar Coliseum. Handout/WMPBL"/>Tantoy Ferrer of Discovery-Rizal in action against San Juan-DN Steel in Game 1 of the semifinals of the 2025 Women&#x27;s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL), October 19, 2025 at the Villar Coliseum. Handout/WMPBL</div>MANILA -- Discovery-Rizal leaned on a huge third quarter to pull away from San Juan-DN Steel, 76-65, in Game 1 of their best-of-3 semifinals series in the 2025 Women&#x27;s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL), Sunday at the Villar Coliseum.Behind the combined efforts of Lovejoy Candelario, Raiza Palmera-Dy, and Janeth Sison, the third-seeded Perlas opened the third period on a 9-1 run that turned a slim 38-35 halftime advantage into a more comfortable 47-36 cushion with 6:08 left.That decisive stretch gave Discovery-Rizal the breathing room it needed, as the squad held firm the rest of the way to draw first blood in the semifinals against the No. 2 seed San Juan.&quot;We just have to come ready and play 40 minutes kasi &#x27;yung losses namin, we only played for 30 minutes. Pagdating ng fourth quarter, nawawala kami. In tonight&#x27;s game, we played really hard for 40 minutes,&quot; said Discovery-Rizal head coach Derrick Pumaren.&quot;Next man up. &#x27;Pag walang ginagawa &#x27;yung isa, somebody has to fill in like si LJ [Candelario], si Angel [Anies], si Tacky [Tacatac], they played really well,&quot; he added.Perlas had no shortage of heroes, especially with stars Palmera-Dy — who missed their quarterfinal win over RK Hoops-Quezon City last week — and Allana Lim still slowed down by illness and struggling to find their rhythm.Tantoy Ferrer anchored Discovery-Rizal on both ends, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks despite an off shooting night. Alongside her steady play, Anies, Candelario, and Tacky Tacatac stepped up when it mattered most, injecting energy that kept Perlas in control until the final buzzer.Anies matched Ferrer&#x27;s output with 15 points on an efficient 5-of-6 shooting clip, adding four assists and three rebounds. Candelario, who sparked the decisive third-quarter surge with back-to-back baskets, posted a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Tacatac delivered three timely triples to finish with 10 points.Meanwhile, Palmera-Dy struggled offensively with just four points on 1-of-7 shooting but contributed seven assists despite six turnovers. Lim, still regaining her form, was limited to two points on a 1-of-6 clip and grabbed four rebounds.Discovery-Rizal will try to finish the job in Game 2 on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Ynares Center in Montalban, aiming for a sweep and a finals berth in the league&#x27;s inaugural professional season.On the other hand, May May Canuto led the Lady Knights&#x27; late fightback that cut a 16-point deficit to just 10 in the closing minutes, finishing with 19 points, six assists, and four rebounds.Janine Pontejos added 15 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Dianne Pedregosa chipped in 10 points and six boards.<div> </div><div>The Scores:</div>Discovery-Rizal 76 – Ferrer 15, Anies 15, Candelario 12, Tacatac 10, Galicia 6, Sison 5, Sambile 4, Palmera-Dy 4, Marcos 3, Lim 2San Juan-DN Steel 65 – Canuto 19, Pontejos 15, Pedregosa 10, Ventura 6, Tolentino 6, Talas 5, Cabinbin 4, Junsay 0, Panti 0, Adlawan 0Quarterscores: 23-15, 38-35, 54-42, 76-75

#WMPBL | Discovery-Rizal leaned on a huge third quarter to pull away from San Juan-DN Steel, 76-65, in Game 1 of their best-of-3 semifinals series in the 2025 Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.

#WMPBL | Discovery-Rizal leaned on a huge third quarter to pull away from San Juan-DN Steel, 76-65, in Game 1 of their best-of-3 semifinals series in the 2025 Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.

WMPBL: Discovery-Rizal draws first blood against San Juan in semis

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WMPBL: Discovery-Rizal draws first blood against San Juan in semis

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Published Oct 20, 2025 12:41 AM PHT

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