Valkyries Start Title Defense with Dominant Win Over Lady Kankaloo

Defending champion Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire kicked off their title defense in impressive fashion, cruising to an 85-53 victory over Caloocan to cap the opening day of the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League W MPBL regular season on Sunday at the Alonte Sports Arena.

In the absence of reigning MVP Afril Bernardino, Christine Bariquit and Snow Peñaranda both posted double-doubles to lead the Valkyries. Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire took control early in the second quarter and never looked back, steadily building a commanding lead to spoil the Lady Kankaloo’s debut.

Bariquit finished with 20 points, 16 rebounds, and three steals, while Peñaranda contributed 19 points and 11 boards, powering the team to a dominant performance.

The Valkyries broke the game open with a 29-12 second-quarter run, turning a narrow lead into a commanding 49-27 halftime advantage. Caloocan struggled to keep pace with the defending champions, unable to mount a serious challenge after the break.

“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.”

Bariquit and Peñaranda were key in dominating the boards, helping the Valkyries grab 24 offensive rebounds, which resulted in 20 second-chance points. This played a major role in maintaining control throughout the game.

Khate Castillo added 11 points, while Rizza Lozada and Queenie Aquino contributed 10 and nine points, respectively. Despite Bernardino's absence, Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire never seemed to miss a beat.

For Caloocan, Janine Pontejos led the way with 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting and four assists, while Rejoice Adlawan added 13 points and five rebounds off the bench.