The Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) men's basketball tournament witnessed both dominant performances and coaching frustrations as action resumed at the Cebu Coliseum on Monday, November 17, 2025.
UV Green Lancers Return With Vengeance
Like a house on fire, the defending champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers launched a blistering rally in the first five minutes of the game to overwhelm the University of Southern Philippines (USPF) Panthers with a convincing 96-61 victory. This marked the Lancers' bounce-back win after their 65-76 loss to the Benedicto College Cheetahs last October 26—their final game before a two-week-long break.
The Green Lancers' masterful win began to take shape immediately as they established a 33-17 lead in the first quarter and closed the half with a commanding 60-35 advantage. Despite their substantial lead, UV continued to push the pace and widened the gap to as many as 37 points throughout the contest.
Key Players Shine in Dominant Performance
Former Finals Most Valuable Player Kent Ivo Salarda led UV's offensive charge with an impressive stat line of 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and one block. Salarda demonstrated remarkable efficiency, making six of his 10 field-goal attempts and going 4-of-7 from the three-point area.
The Lancers received significant contributions from multiple players, with Christopher Isabelo adding 13 points including three three-pointers, while PJ Taliman and Christian Jay Alilin contributed 10 points each. The balanced offensive attack proved too much for the Panthers to handle.
For USPF, Redjhee Recimiento led with 15 points, followed by Janjan Peteros with 14 points and Keaton Clyde Taburnal with 11 points. The loss dropped the Panthers to a 2-7 record in the tournament standings.
Coaching Frustrations and High School Action
The games were not without controversy, as USJ-R coach Julius Cadavis and his staff expressed visible frustration over poor officiating. Meanwhile, CIT-U coach Donbel Belano lodged formal complaints with Cesafi technical committee member Edwin Dejacto regarding questionable calls by referees.
In the high school division, the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Junior Wildcats registered their fourth win by burying the Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC) Greywolves, 81-51. Coach Axel Rabaya's Junior Wildcats dominated every department, giving the Greywolves little breathing room throughout the match.
Jero Daniel Rosellosa led CIT-U with 14 points and five rebounds, while Kim Alburo and Theo Maxin Santiago also finished in double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively. Except for Drovic Von Panulaya and Gabriel James Pablo, all Junior Wildcats contributed to the scoring.
The victory improved CIT-U's record to 4-2, moving them into fourth place in the team standings, while the Greywolves fell to their fifth loss in six games. James Kennedy Plano led DBTC with a double-double performance of 13 points and 13 rebounds, with Daniel Cerilles Jr. adding 11 points.
The Junior Wildcats face a difficult challenge this Friday, November 21, when they go up against the defending champions Sacred Heart School–Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles coached by Rommel Rasmo. The multi-titled Magis Eagles currently hold a 4-1 record in the tournament.
