# 2022 Rizal Golden Coolers season

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. They would, however, be swept by the Batangas City Embassy Chill in the Division Semifinals.
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.

### Schedule

2021 Rizal Emkai Xentromall Invitational schedule :
| Stage | Game | Date | Opponent | Score | Location | Record |
| Group stage | 1 | December 12 | General Santos | W 73–66 | SM Mall of Asia Arena | 1–0 |
| Group stage | 2 | December 13 | Manila | L 59–89 | SM Mall of Asia Arena | 1–1 |
| Group stage | 3 | December 16 | Bulacan | L 79–87 | SM Mall of Asia Arena | 1–2 |
| Group stage | 4 | December 18 | Mindoro | L 83–86 | SM Mall of Asia Arena | 1–3 |
| Group stage | 5 | December 20 | Imus | L 79–90 | SM Mall of Asia Arena | 1–4 |
| Source: Schedule ||||||||

## Regular season
### Standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | GB | Qualification |
| 4 | GenSan Warriors | 21 | 15 | 6 | 3 | Playoffs |
| 5 | Bacolod Bingo Plus | 21 | 14 | 7 | 4 | Playoffs |
| 6 | Rizal Golden Coolers | 21 | 10 | 11 | 8 | Playoffs |
| 7 | Bacoor City Strikers | 21 | 9 | 12 | 9 | Playoffs |
| 8 | Muntinlupa Cagers | 21 | 6 | 15 | 12 | Playoffs |

### Schedule

2022 Rizal Golden Coolers season schedule :
| Game | Date | Opponent | Location | Record |
| 1 | May 21 | Sarangani | Ynares Center | 0–1 |
| 2 | June 7 | General Santos | Caloocan Sports Complex | 0–2 |
| 3 | June 11 | Pampanga | Batangas City Coliseum | 1–2 |
| 4 | June 21 | Manila | Orion Sports Complex | 2–2 |
| 5 | June 27 | Bacoor City | Ynares Center | 3–2 |
| 6 | July 9 | Pasig City | Orion Sports Complex | 3–3 |
| 7 | July 15 | Laguna | Caloocan Sports Complex | 4–3 |
| 8 | July 23 | Mindoro | Ynares Sports Arena | 5–3 |
| 9 | July 29 | Muntinlupa | Laguna Sports Complex | 6–3 |
| 10 | August 8 | Quezon City | Nueva Ecija Coliseum | 7–3 |
| 11 | August 12 | Caloocan | San Jose del Monte Sports Complex | 7–4 |
| 12 | August 20 | Bacolod | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 8–4 |
| 13 | August 23 | Makati | Batangas City Coliseum | 9–4 |
| 14 | August 29 | Nueva Ecija | Santa Rosa Sports Complex | 9–5 |
| 15 | September 3 | Valenzuela | Ynares Sports Arena | 10–5 |
| 16 | September 12 | Batangas City | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 10–6 |
| 17 | September 15 | Zamboanga | Ynares Sports Arena | 10–7 |
| 18 | September 17 | Bataan | Strike Gymnasium | 10–8 |
| 19 | September 23 | Imus City | Nueva Ecija Coliseum | 10–9 |
| 20 | September 29 | San Juan | Batangas City Coliseum | 10–10 |
| 21 | October 11 | Marikina | Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center | 10–11 |
| Source: Schedule |||||||

## Playoffs
### Schedule

2022 Rizal Golden Coolers playoff schedule :
| Round | Game | Date | Opponent | Location | Series | Recap |
| Division Quarterfinals | 1 | October 21 | Sarangani | Batangas City Coliseum | 1–0 | Recap |
| Division Quarterfinals | 2 | October 28 | Sarangani | Ynares Sports Arena | 2–0 | Recap |
| Division Semifinals | 1 | November 8 | Batangas City | Mayor Vitaliano D. Agan Coliseum | 0–1 | Recap |
| Division Semifinals | 2 | November 12 | Batangas City | Batangas City Coliseum | 0–2 | Recap |
| Source: Schedule ||||||||