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WMPBL 2nd Regular Season_ Bluefire Batangas vs Caloocan Lady Kankaloo_ BARIQUIT Tin-00287

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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776002571317WMPBL 2nd Regular Season_ Bluefire Batangas vs Caloocan Lady Kankaloo_ BARIQUIT Tin-00287.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Photo from WMPBL</div>MANILA — Defending champion Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire kicked off its title-retention bid with an 85-53 rout of Caloocan to cap the opening day of the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL) regular season on Sunday at the Alonte Sports Arena.Christine Bariquit and Snow Peñaranda delivered double-doubles in the absence of reigning MVP Afril Bernardino as the Valkyries seized control early in the second quarter and never let go, steadily building separation before cruising the rest of the way to spoil the debut of the Lady Kankaloo.Bariquit put up 20 points and 16 rebounds to go along with three steals, while Peñaranda registered  19 points and 11 boards in Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire’s dominant victory.The Valkyries broke the game wide open with a blistering 29-12 second-quarter explosion, turning early separation into full control and racing to a 49-27 halftime lead as Caloocan struggled to keep pace with the reigning champions. “It’s a good start for us, getting our first win in defending our championship,” said Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire head coach Cholo Villanueva. “We have a lot of things to work on, we started quite slow but we’re progressing properly.”Both Bariquit and Peñaranda’s efforts on the glass proved crucial in the lopsided win, as they anchored the Valkyries’ rebounding effort with 24 offensive boards that translated into 20 second-chance points, fueling their sustained control of the game.Khate Castillo contributed 11 points, while Rizza Lozada and Queenie Aquino added 10 and nine markers, respectively, as Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire barely felt the absence of Bernardino, who is currently with Gilas Pilipinas for the FIBA 3x3 World Cup qualifiers in Singapore.Meanwhile, Janine Pontejos paced Caloocan with 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting, along with four assists, while Rejoice Adlawan added 13 points and five rebounds off the bench.<div> </div><div>The Scores:</div>Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire 85 - Bariquit 20, Peñaranda 19, Castillo 11, Lozada 10, Aquino 9, Claro 5, Torres 5, Calang 3, Talas 3, Tongco 0Caloocan 53 - Pontejos 14, Adlawan 13, Tolentino 6, Capilit 4, Felisarta 4, Sison 2, Camagong 2, Candido 2, Gonzalo 2, Pedregosa 2, Marcos 2, Bio 0Quarterscores: 85-53, 49-27, 67-45, 85-53

Defending champion Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire kicked off its title-retention bid with an 85-53 rout of Caloocan to cap the opening day of the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.

Defending champion Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire kicked off its title-retention bid with an 85-53 rout of Caloocan to cap the opening day of the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.

Bernardino-less Batangas opens WMPBL title defense with 32-point rout of Caloocan

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Bernardino-less Batangas opens WMPBL title defense with 32-point rout of Caloocan

ABS-CBN News

Published April 12, 2026 10:41 PM PHT

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women's basketball

Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire

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Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League

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