THE Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Baby Wildcats made history after defeating defending champion University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers, 55-39, in Game 3 of the Cesafi 15-Under Finals on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, at the Cebu Coliseum.
The win was special because CIT-U is a rookie team. It is believed to be the first time in CESAFI’s 25-year history that a first-year team won the championship.
Many fans saw the Finals as a battle of future stars. But the Baby Wildcats showed they were ready for the big stage. They controlled the game with strong defense and teamwork.
Tournament MVP Paul Desquitado led CIT-U with 16 points. He helped run the offense and scored important baskets whenever UV tried to catch up. His calm play helped the Baby Wildcats keep their double-digit lead in the final quarter.
UV tried to fight back at one point, scoring two straight three-pointers and a short jumper to cut the lead to 36-28. But CIT-U quickly answered and stayed in control for the rest of the game.
Ivan Geraldez added 10 points, while Bernard Alsola scored nine for the Baby Wildcats.
For UV, Mark Tundag led with 12 points, while Jared Go scored eight. Skerl Basilisco was limited to just four points, which hurt the Baby Lancers’ chances.
CIT-U was coached by first-year coaches Christian Floyd Taboada and Axel Rabaya. The team dominated the season, sweeping both the elimination and semifinal rounds to enter the Finals as the top seed.
The Baby Wildcats won Game 1, 59-45, but lost Game 2, 70-44, which forced a deciding Game 3.
In the final game, CIT-U used strong full-court defense that forced UV into many turnovers, helping secure the championship win.
The title is a big achievement for CIT-U. It also ended the school’s 15-year title drought in Cesafi.
The last time CIT-U won a championship was in the 2009-2010 season, when it ruled the high school division led by Macmac Tallo, who became the youngest Cesafi MVP at age 15.
“In Game 2, we were overwhelmed because they simply outworked us. So in Game 3, we reminded the boys to give extra effort, pressure them, and follow our game plan,” said coach Taboada, adding that the win was God’s will. / JBM