MANILA, Philippines — Behind a historic, record-breaking scoring masterpiece, the junior hardwood tournament has locked in its first title combatants. Batang Magnolia and Batang NLEX successfully punched their tickets to the championship round of the 2026 Batang PBA under-11 division.
The high-stakes knockout semifinals unfolded at the Victoria Sports Tower, showcasing both dominant individual performances and massive tournament upsets.
The single-elimination semifinal bracket weeded out the division’s top seeds, setting up a highly anticipated clash of contrasting styles for the championship trophy:
[Group B Leaders: Batang Magnolia] ──► Erase Deficit to Clobber Batang Converge, 75-59 │ ▼ (The Twin Semifinal Pathways)[Tournament Record Set] ◄── Glenn Mikael Mabulac Explodes for 39 Points │ ▼[Underdog Road Warriors Advance] ◄── Batang NLEX Stuns Top-Seeded Meralco Bolts, 84-81 │ ▼ [Magnolia and NLEX Advance to Thursday's 11U Finale]
Batang Magnolia kept their perfect tournament record intact, overcoming an aggressive early push from Batang Converge to secure a comfortable 75-59 victory. The game belonged entirely to Magnolia standout Glenn Mikael Mabulac, who broke the tournament’s all-time scoring record.
[ MABULAC'S HISTORIC SCORING BREAKDOWN ]
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[ FIRST-HALF RESTRAINT ] [ SECOND-HALF EXPLOSION ]
• **Pacing the Offense:** Mabulac carried the Hotshots early on, • **Taking the Lead:** Trailing 31-32 at halftime, Mabulac completely
scoring **16 points** over the first two quarters of play. unleashed an unstoppable **23-point** barrage in the second half.
• **Group B Sweep:** His initial steady production kept Magnolia close • **Sealing the Finale:** The offensive explosion erased the FiberXers'
while the team adjusted to Converge's physical perimeter defense. lead for good, maintaining Magnolia's undefeated tournament run.
In the other Under-11 semifinal matchup, the Batang NLEX Road Warriors pulled off the shocker of the division. Playing as heavy underdogs, NLEX executed a brilliant late-game execution sequence to stun the top-seeded Meralco Bolts, 84-81, securing their spot in the Thursday finale.
The competitive action at the Victoria Sports Tower extended into the older brackets, where structural revenge served as the primary narrative of the afternoon.
| Bracket Division | Semifinal Matchup & Final Scores | Primary Game Changers & Key Metrics |
| Under-11 (11U) | Magnolia def. Converge (75-59) NLEX def. Meralco (84-81) | Glenn Mikael Mabulac (Magnolia): Logged a tournament-record 39 points to punch a finals ticket. |
| Under-15 (15U) | Converge def. Meralco (71-60) | Treyton Caelli Segismundo: Dropped 18 points. Raikkonen Matthew Mortera: Backed his co-star with 16 points. |
The third-seeded Batang Converge FiberXers flipped the script on the second-ranked Meralco Bolts with a decisive 71-60 victory. Led by Segismundo and Mortera, the FiberXers successfully avenged their tight 66-62 loss to the Bolts during the initial elimination round.
With the championship pairings finalized across both youth divisions, elite development coaches are turning their attention to Thursday’s final matchday. For the undefeated Under-11 Magnolia squad, containing an unpredictable NLEX transition offense will be paramount, while NLEX looks to find an answer for Mabulac’s record-setting scoring range on the grandest junior stage.