Abra sweeps San Juan, rules North
THE Abra Solid North Weavers celebrate after beating the San Juan Knights, 76-68, in Game 3 of the North Division Finals of the MPBL 2026 Season.
Photograph courtesy of MPBL
The Abra Solid North Weavers swept the San Juan Knights, 76-68, to retain the North Division crown and set up a National Finals rematch with South Division kings Quezon Huskers in the SportsPlus Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 2026 Season on Saturday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
The Weavers beat the Knights, 3-0, in their best-of-five series and will be trying to assert their superiority over the Huskers in the best-of-seven MPBL National Finals starting Monday at the Gov. Andres Bernos Memorial Gymnasium in Bangued, Abra.
Abra blanked Quezon, 3-0, in the 2025 best-of-five National Finals
Although the Weavers were in control throughout, the Knights threatened at 61-62, but a 10-2 run powered by Jake Figueroa quelled the rally and decided the outcome, 72-63, with 2:58 left.
Figueroa tallied 17 points, nine in the last quarter, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals and was chosen the SportsPlus Best Player over reigning Most Valuable Player Dave Ildefonso, who posted 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Other Weavers who delivered were Tucker Molina with nine points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals; Raven Gonzales and DJ Fenner with seven points each; and JD Cagulangan with the game's first six points.
John Uduba and Encho Serrano contributed three points each, Drex Delos Reyes two and Alfred Ryan Batino one for Abra, the country's lone representative to the East Asia Super League 2026-2027 Season.
San Juan, which trailed as far as 23-39, got 11 points each from Reyland Torres, Harold Alarco and Dexter Maiquez; seven from Orlan Wamar, six from Michael Calisaan, and five each from Patrick Sleat and James Kwekuteye.