In a showdown that lived up to its billing, fourth-ranked Tagaytay-Tol survived a gritty challenge from No. 5 Pangasinan-Solar Home, escaping with a hard-fought 81-77 victory to clinch the last semifinal berth in the 2025 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League on Sunday night at the Enderun Gym.

The Patriots answered every comeback attempt from the Suns, delivering timely baskets and clutch stops down the stretch to seal the win — and set up a semifinal showdown with No. 2 San Juan-DN Steel, the same team they defeated on the final day of the preliminaries to secure the fourth seed.

Entering the final quarter down by seven, Pangasinan-Solar Home mounted a spirited 9-4 run behind Lee Sario and Ara Abaca to trim the deficit to just two, 66-68, with 4:19 left on the clock.

Luisa San Juan calmly sank two free throws before Bernice Paraiso buried a clutch three-pointer to restore Tagaytay-Tol’s seven-point lead.

From there, both squads traded blows, with San Juan, Monique del Carmen and Stefanie Berberabe taking turns in silencing every Pangasinan rally for a 79-72 cushion entering the final minute.

Still, the Suns refused to fold. Abaca took matters into her own hands, scoring five straight points to bring Pangasinan within two, 77-79, with seven seconds remaining and a chance to force overtime.

But Berberabe held her nerve at the line, coolly sinking both free throws with five ticks left to seal the win and send the Patriots to the semifinals.

“Pangasinan is really strong so we made sure to do our best to prepare,” Tagaytay-Tol head coach Tito Reyes said.

The Patriots’ top guns struggled to find their rhythm offensively, but still delivered when it mattered most. Del Carmen led the way with 18 points on 6-of-18 shooting, while also adding six rebounds and six assists to anchor Tagaytay-Tol’s balanced effort.

Berberabe added 16 points on a 5-of-16 clip, laced with seven assists, six rebounds and five steals, while San Juan chipped in 10 points despite a rough 3-of-14 outing from the field, including just 1-of-10 from deep. 

Her night, however, ended early after being ejected with 1:35 left following back-to-back technical fouls for faking a foul and unsportsmanlike behavior.

Justine Domingo and Paraiso rounded out the double-digit performers for Tagaytay-Tol with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

On the other hand, Pangasinan-Solar Home drew huge performances from Gabi Bade and Abaca, but despite their efforts, the team still came up short and saw its campaign come to an end.

Bade turned in a valiant double-double performance with 21 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals, while Abaca added 20 points and seven boards.