MOALBOAL and Malabuyoc secured their spots in the semifinals of the Calderon Cup 21-Under basketball tournament after winning their quarterfinal games on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at the Malabuyoc Sports Complex in Malabuyoc, Cebu.
Moalboal Holds Off Ginatilan
Moalboal, coached by Jaysar Esperat, held off a late comeback attempt by Ginatilan to win 73-67. The victory was Moalboal's fourth in six games, sending the team to the semifinals where they will face Dumanjug.
Esperat acknowledged the challenge ahead, noting that Dumanjug defeated them twice in the elimination round. However, he expressed confidence that his team has learned from those losses. "In our two losses against Dumanjug, we learned from our mistakes. Hopefully, we can make adjustments in the semifinals," Esperat said, adding that defense will be their main focus.
Malabuyoc Cruises Past Ronda
Malabuyoc also advanced with a dominant 84-63 win over Ronda. The tournament features teams from eight municipalities in Cebu's 7th District. The semifinals will be played on Thursday, April 30, at the Dumanjug Sports Complex, with games starting at 6 p.m.
Malabuyoc coach Johnfiel Mejo expressed readiness for their semifinal matchup against Alegria. The two teams split their elimination-round meetings: Malabuyoc lost the first game on March 21 but bounced back in the second meeting. "We were tied 1-1 in the elimination round. We lost to them when one of our players got injured, but now we are very prepared," Mejo said.
