The Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) has made a decisive and final ruling, stripping the University of Cebu (UC) Lapulapu/Mandaue Baby Webmasters of all their victories in the high school basketball tournament. This action comes after a confirmed rules violation by one of their players.
Rule Violation Leads to Sanction
During an emergency Zoom meeting held on Sunday, December 7, 2025, the Cesafi board upheld the decision of Commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy Jr. to impose the forfeiture. The sanction was applied after it was discovered that UC Lapulapu/Mandaue's point guard, Noe Lingosten, played in another league while the Cesafi season was still ongoing.
Commissioner Tiukinhoy emphasized that the action was a direct application of existing league regulations. "There's a rule for that. So the board sustained the decision," he stated. The rules clearly state that a player or team committing such an infraction faces penalties, including the forfeiture of every game the ineligible player participated in.
Semifinal Picture Dramatically Reshuffled
The ruling has major consequences for the tournament standings and the semifinal matchups. With the forfeiture, UC Lapulapu/Mandaue officially loses its chance to advance to the semifinals. This decision caused a significant reshuffle in the Top Four rankings.
The defending champions, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles (9-1), retain the number one spot. Meanwhile, the UC Main Baby Webmasters (8-2) move up to claim the second position, directly benefiting from their sister team's removal. Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Dragons (7-3) take third place, and Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Junior Wildcats secure the fourth and final semifinal berth.
Updated Semifinal Schedule and Advantage
The semifinals are set for Monday, December 8. At 12:30 p.m., the top-seeded Ateneo Magis Eagles will face the fourth-seeded CIT-U Junior Wildcats. This will be followed at 2 p.m. by the clash between the second-seeded UC Main Baby Webmasters and the third-seeded CEC Dragons.
As the top two teams after the elimination round, both Ateneo and UC Main hold the coveted twice-to-beat advantage in their respective semifinal series. This means their opponents must defeat them twice to advance, while they only need one win to secure a spot in the championship round.
