The Benedicto College (BC) Cheetahs narrowly escaped with a hard-fought 70-68 victory over the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats in the Cesafi men's basketball tournament on Monday, December 1, 2025, at the Cebu Coliseum.
A Victory That Keeps Semifinal Hopes Alive
This crucial win improves the Cheetahs' record to 10 wins and 2 losses, keeping them firmly in the race for one of the league's top two spots. Securing a top-two finish would grant Benedicto a coveted twice-to-beat advantage in the upcoming semifinal round. The team's fate now hinges on their next marquee matchup against the defending champions, the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers (11-2), scheduled for Wednesday, December 3.
From Comfortable Lead to Heart-Stopping Finish
Under the guidance of coach BJ Murillo, the Cheetahs appeared to be cruising to an easy win after building a commanding 14-point lead, 67-53, with just under three minutes left in the final quarter. However, the Wildcats launched an explosive 15-3 scoring run, powered by consecutive three-pointers from Serafin Duarte, Regie Ayon, and Jerian Marc Abello. This surge slashed Benedicto's lead to a single point, 69-68, with only 43 seconds remaining on the clock.
That dramatic push proved to be CIT-U's final stand. Benedicto's Nichol Cabanero secured the win by splitting his two free throws, leaving the Wildcats without enough time to complete the comeback. Kenneth Babalcon was instrumental in the Cheetahs' success, leading the team with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.
The Road to the Twice-to-Beat Advantage
The upcoming game against UV carries immense weight for Benedicto's championship aspirations. The Cheetahs previously stunned the league with a 76-65 upset over UV on October 26 during the first round of eliminations. A second victory over the Green Lancers would automatically clinch the second twice-to-beat berth for Benedicto.
Should the Cheetahs fall to UV, their destiny will then depend on the result of their final elimination round game against the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R). In the event of a tie in the standings between UV and Benedicto, the Olympic quotient system will be used to determine which team earns the advantageous semifinal position.
Meanwhile, the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters (11-2) were concurrently aiming to lock in the first semifinal berth in their own Tuesday matchup against USJ-R.
