2022 Rizal Golden Coolers season explained

Mpblyear:2022
Team:Rizal Golden Coolers
Team2:Rizal Golden Coolers
Arena:Ynares Center
Wins:10
Losses:11
Division Place:6
Division:South
Playoffs:Division Semifinals
Prevseason:2019–20
Nextseason:2023

The 2022 Rizal Golden Coolers season was the third season of the franchise in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

Returning to the South Division, Rizal made a splash by soaring to a 10–5 record in their first fifteen games, a far cry from their previous two seasons, where they were had the worst record of the division. Despite that, they would fall in their last six games to finish the regular season 10–11, one game below .500. It is still enough for the Golden Coolers to clinch the sixth seed in the South Division.

Rizal was matched against third-seeded Sarangani, who are six games ahead, but it did not make any difference as the Golden Coolers stunned the Marlins in a Division Quarterfinals sweep.[1] They would, however, be swept by the Batangas City Embassy Chill in the Division Semifinals.[2]

The team played both of their home games this season at Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Preseason

Rizal was one of 22 teams that took part in the 2021 MPBL Invitational, competing as Rizal Emkai Xentromall. They would fail to make the playoffs after finishing in fifth place in Group D.[3]

Schedule

2021 Rizal Emkai Xentromall Invitational schedule
StageGameDateOpponentScoreLocationRecordRecap

<

-- Group stage -->
Group stage1December 12 W 73–66 1–0
2December 13 L 59–89 SM Mall of Asia Arena 1–1
3December 16 Bulacan L 79–87 SM Mall of Asia Arena 1–2
4December 18 L 83–86 SM Mall of Asia Arena 1–3
5December 20 L 79–90 SM Mall of Asia Arena 1–4
Source: Schedule

Regular season

Schedule

2022 Rizal Golden Coolers season schedule
GameDateOpponentScoreLocationRecordRecap

<

-- Games 1–7 -->
1May 21 Ynares Center 0–1
2June 7 0–2
3June 11 Batangas City Coliseum 1–2
4June 21 Orion Sports Complex 2–2
5June 27 Ynares Center 3–2
6July 9 Orion Sports Complex 3–3
7July 15 Caloocan Sports Complex 4–3
8July 23 5–3
9July 29 Laguna Sports Complex 6–3
10August 8 Nueva Ecija Coliseum 7–3
11August 12 San Jose del Monte Sports Complex 7–4
12August 20 8–4
13August 23 Batangas City Coliseum 9–4
14August 29 9–5
15September 3 Ynares Sports Arena 10–5
16September 12 Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center 10–6
17September 15 Ynares Sports Arena 10–7
18September 17 Strike Gymnasium 10–8
19September 23 Nueva Ecija Coliseum 10–9
20September 29 Batangas City Coliseum 10–10
21October 11 Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center 10–11
Source: Schedule

Playoffs

Schedule

2022 Rizal Golden Coolers playoff schedule
RoundGameDateOpponentScoreLocationSeriesRecap

<

-- Division Quarterfinals -->
Division Quarterfinals1October 21 Batangas City Coliseum 1–0Recap
2October 28 Sarangani 2–0Recap
Division Semifinals1November 8 Mayor Vitaliano D. Agan Coliseum 0–1Recap
2November 12 Batangas City Batangas City Coliseum 0–2Recap
Source: Schedule

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022-10-29 . MPBL: Jolo Mendoza outwits Kyt Jimenez in clutch as Rizal boots out Sarangani in OT . 2024-07-27 . Tiebreaker Times . en-US.
  2. Web site: 2022-11-13 . MPBL: Batangas advances to South Finals; Bacolod-Zamboanga goes to decider . 2024-03-17 . Tiebreaker Times . en-US.
  3. Web site: 2021-12-20 . MPBL: Imus overwhelms Rizal to secure playoff spot . 2024-03-24 . ABS-CBN News.