Hericanes’ Kaia Travilla dribbles past a defender during a semifinals game against Air Ballers in the women’s division of the 2025 Allied Pacific Environmental Consulting Basketball League at the Ada gym on Saturday afternoon.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
Hericanes’ Rachel Langu gets fouled as she drives toward the hoop during a semifinals game against Air Ballers in the women’s division of the 2025 Allied Pacific Environmental Consulting Basketball League at the Ada gym on Saturday afternoon.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
THE Hericanes secured a spot in the women’s division finals of the 2025 Allied Pacific Environmental Consulting Basketball League after outlasting the Air Ballers, 42–36, in a semifinal game at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
Prime, for its part, advanced to the finals by default after the MP Raiders forfeited.
As for the other semifinal game, it was defined by momentum swings, defensive grit, and timely baskets as the Hericanes weathered a second-half surge by the Air Ballers.
The Hericanes’ offense leaned on the consistent inside-outside combo of Rachel Langu and Kaia Travilla, who carried much of the action throughout the game. Langu, in particular, was dominant in the paint as she capitalized on several second-chance opportunities, while Travilla hit key perimeter shots, including a couple of crucial jumpers in the final three minutes that halted the Air Ballers’ momentum.
Langu also powered the opening half with nine points, joined by a pair of treys from Sha Aina Mendoza.
Undeterred, the Air Ballers mounted a fiery first-half assault led by Irish Pagarao, Friendly Joy Peña, and Madi Alegre, who emphasized quick drives and baseline cuts to trail by just one point, 17–16, at halftime.
In the second half, the Air Ballers continued to give it their all, with Pagarao frequently drawing fouls and adding a few extra points from the free throw line, narrowing the gap with under four minutes left on the clock. However, costly fouls and a missed three-pointer in their final possession allowed the Hericanes to capitalize with easy finishes at the other end, sealing the 42–36 win.
