CALABARZON escapes Central Luzon to reach 2026 Palarong Pambansa basketball finals

AGUSAN DEL SUR — Region IV-A CALABARZON fended off a late rally from Region III Central Luzon to eke out an 83-76 win in their heated semifinals match in the 2026 Palarong Pambansa secondary boys basketball on Friday.

CALABARZON will face either defending champion Davao or the National Capital Region (NCR) in the championship round set for Saturday.

The Heroes turned a slim 65-66 deficit in the fourth quarter into a crucial 75-68 lead after Ali Mamauag sparked a rally, scoring six points as part of a 10-2 run.

CLRAA refused to fold as Migz Lugtu and Hadi Hussein joined forces to trim the gap to just one point, 75-74, with 47.75 seconds left to play.

However, Mamauag continued to make the big shots, hitting a clutch three-pointer to give Region IV-A a four-point advantage before Region III answered with a quick basket from Daniel Hernandez, 78-76, in the final 29.58 ticks.

A costly Hussein turnover from an inbound pass allowed CALABRZON to seal the deal as Mamauag put the punctuation with a split from the line, bringing the powerhouse Region IV-A to the gold medal round.

—JKC, GMA News