University of Santo Tomas (UST) and Pilipinas Aguilas booked a finals showdown in the 2025 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL) Invitational Tournament after emerging victorious in their respective knockout semifinal matchups last Sunday at the New Era Gym.
The Growling Tigresses imposed their will on the Galeries Tower Skyrisers, 67-54, while the Aguilas overwhelmed Discovery Perlas, 65-48, in a pair of decisive semifinal victories, paving the way for a best-of-three finals showdown set to begin on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Meanwhile, Game 2 is set for 20 April, with a potential Game 3 scheduled for 23 April. Both matches will be held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
"On behalf of the WMPBL, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Philippine Sports Commission, especially to chairman Dickie Bachmann and sports facilities division chief Julia Llanto for allowing us to use their facilities for our historic finals," WMPBL president John Kallos said.
"This milestone would not have been possible without the efforts of our commissioner, coach Haydee Ong. We are hopeful that the WMPBL finals between UST and the Pilipinas Aguilas will be one for the books."
It was a wire-to-wire victory for UST, who led by as many as 22 points in the second quarter and never looked back, showcasing their trademark defensive grit and balanced offense to keep the Skyrisers at bay from start to finish.