Defending champion Abra Solid North moved within a victory of the North Division title after defeating San Juan, 76-65, on Monday, November 9, at the Gov. Andres Bernos Memorial Gymnasium in Bangued, Abra.
Building on a narrow 59-58 win in the series opener, the Abra Weavers seized control in the second half to grab a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Fil-American guard DJ Fenner led the charge with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. Reigning MVP Dave Ildefonso added a double-double of 16 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals, pushing Abra to a comfortable 56-37 advantage early in the fourth quarter.
Raven Gonzales, the 2025 Rookie of the Year, earned best player honors after scoring 13 points—including eight in the final period—along with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. JD Cagulangan contributed 7 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds, while Tucker Molina chipped in 6 points and 3 rebounds.
For San Juan, Mike Calisaan paced the team with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals. AC Soberano added 15 points, and Patrick Sleat finished with 7 points and 7 rebounds. Offensive struggles hampered San Juan as Harold Alarcon and James Kwekuteye were limited to 2 points each.
Abra, the country’s representative to the EASL 2026-2027 Season, will look to complete a sweep in Game 3 on Saturday at a venue yet to be announced.
SOUTH DIVISION FINALS RESUME
In the South Division, the Quezon Huskers and Biñan Tatak Gel are set to break their series tie in Game 3 on Wednesday at the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan, Laguna.
Quezon leveled the series at 1-1 following a dominant 74-54 victory in Game 2 at the Quezon Convention Center, bouncing back from Biñan’s 83-74 win in Game 1.
Quezon will lean on core players Cholo Anonuevo, Jolo Manansala, Ced Manzano, Judel Fuentes, Cyrus Tabi, Alvin Abundo, and Diego Dario. Meanwhile, Biñan will look to MVP frontrunner Nic Cabanero, Kenny Rocacurva, Carlo Lastimosa, Pamboy Raymundo, Renzo Subido, and Michael Mabulac to regain momentum.