AFTER 13 months of sheer dominance, the Abra Solid North Weavers are seeing the rest of the MPBL fight back.
The San Juan Knights threw the first punch, putting an end to the Weavers' 38-game win streak with a 66-58 win - the reigning national champions' first loss since a 70-60 loss to the unheralded Pasay Voyagers last March 9, 2025.
READ Alarcon unfazed by bright lights in San Juan's takedown of Abra
For most, the loss is seen as a crack in the armor for Abra, especially after losing key players like Geo Chiu, CJ Austria, and Finals MVP Jason Brickman in the offseason. But skipper Dave Ildefonso is the least bit worried.
“I’m a competitive guy, ito gusto ko,” Ildefonso told SPIN.ph. “I love the competition catching up.”
Talk during the offseason has mostly been how the arrival of the likes of Mike Phillips, Harold Alarcon, Gerry Abadiano, and a flurry of top talent from the UAAP and the NCAA has helped rival teams close the gap on the powerhouse Weavers.
Dave I, however, is hardly fazed. He in fact welcomes it.
“I love it. Kasi, you know, the MPBL needs it. The MPBL needs more teams, more players to be able to compete with the better teams.”
“And I think, today's loss for us was good for the league din, and good for us. A streak is a streak, you know, you can't win them all,” he added.
Abra's chance to recalibrate
While San Juan’s victory sent a message that they are one of the teams to watch out for, the loss, Ildefonso said, has given the Weavers the rare opportunity to do something they couldn’t do for much of last season — rethink and recalibrate.
Ildefonso explained, “You know, when I say it's good for us, it's good. Kasi we can get our hunger back.
“We've been winning for like over a year na. I mean, di naman sa pagyayabang, pero puro panalo eh. So this is good kasi we can touch some grass, you know, be grounded, and remember what we're here for — to win the championship.”
Ildefonso is also relieved that the loss, like last year, happened this early in the season, giving the Weavers plenty of time to get their act together and work on their chemistry with new teammates — his older brother Shaun included.
“Medyo marami kami bagong players eh. So yung chemistry and how well they know the place, it's not to the level that we want it to be yet. Pero, you know, it's just the third game of the season. April pa lang. Aabot pa kami ng December kung makapag-finals.”
“Like last season, third game, talo rin kami sa Pasay. And what happened after that? So it's just, I think this is history repeating itself.”
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