After a grueling journey through the elimination, quarterfinal, and semifinal rounds, Malabuyoc and Dumanjug will face off in the best-of-three finals of the 1st Calderon Cup 2026 Under-21 Inter-Town basketball tournament in Cebu's 7th district.
Semifinal Thrillers
The finalists scored thrilling semifinal victories on Thursday, April 30, at the Jose Macoy Gymnasium in Dumanjug, Cebu. Malabuyoc pulled off a surprise 97-92 win over Bracket B leader Alegria, while Dumanjug edged Moalboal, 65-62.
By virtue of their five-point winning margin in the semifinals, Malabuyoc will host Game 1 of the best-of-three finals, while Game 2 will be played on Dumanjug's home court. If necessary, Game 3 will return to Malabuyoc.
Malabuyoc's Comeback
Alegria appeared headed for victory after building a 12-point lead in the third quarter, 65-53, following two free throws by Jesham Saban. They maintained control, 76-69, with 8:34 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, Malabuyoc, led by Joseph Velarde, Jake Leo Quim, and Jayson Cabrera, unleashed a 9-2 run to tie the score at 78-all with 6:38 left. A three-pointer by Quim sparked another rally for coach Johnfiel Mejo's squad that eventually sealed the victory.
“Our practices have been intense. Now that we’ve reached the finals, we need even more practice. To those who supported us, we hope you’ll still be there in the finals. You’ve been a big help to the team,” said Mejo.
Cabrera’s hot shooting proved too much for Alegria as he finished with 34 points, including seven three-pointers, to earn Best Player of the Game honors. Velarde added 19 points and 17 rebounds, while Kyle John Cardosa chipped in 17 points and seven assists. For Alegria, Vil March Amacna led the way with 23 points and 12 rebounds despite early foul trouble.
Dumanjug's Narrow Win
Meanwhile, Dumanjug controlled most of the other semifinal against Moalboal. They built a 16-point lead, 46-30, with 2:09 left in the third quarter after a three-pointer by Carl Escuadro. But Moalboal mounted a late rally behind a three-pointer by Kian Chym Garol, followed by a layup and short jumper from Lance Igorote, plus a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Jhon Ryan Abines that rattled Dumanjug. Still, the comeback fell short as Moalboal simply ran out of time.
Although Dumanjug secured a finals berth, they lost their chance to gain homecourt advantage. They needed to win by at least six points to surpass Malabuyoc’s five-point margin. “It’s unfortunate because they hit the last three-pointer at the buzzer, so we ended up at a disadvantage for homecourt,” said Dumanjug head coach Nilo Quirante. Quirante added that they need to intensify their training, noting that Malabuyoc is a very organized team. “We’ll really try to adjust since we’ve never faced them before. This is our first time,” added Quirante, a former varsity player of the University of Cebu and a former member of the Cebu Gems in the MBA.
Raquel James Teleron recorded a double-double for Dumanjug with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Jhun Miguel Telmo added 10 points. For Moalboal, Garol scored 18 points, Igorote had 13, and Klent Sabac chipped in 12.
