THE Benedicto College (BC) Baby Cheetahs devastated the Don Bosco Greywolves, 74-54, on the second day of action in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) 15-and-under basketball tournament held at the USC gym along Sanciangko Street in Cebu City on January 9, 2026.
The victory earned the Baby Cheetahs a seat among the early leaders of the tournament, which was delayed due to calamities last year.
Raphy Pasaje scored 14 points, while Archie Enriquez and Karl Silva added 10 points each.
Benedicto took control early in the first quarter and stretched its lead to 45-24 by halftime. Anton Sasuman led Don Bosco with 10 points.
In other games, defending champions University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers, last year’s runners-up Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Dragons, and newcomer Cebu Institute of Technology–University (CIT-U) Baby Wildcats chalked up their respective second straight victories.
The Baby Lancers, led by Mac Lebron Val Mingoy who finished with 18 points, edged Sacred Heart School–Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles, 67-58.
UV built a comfortable 38-24 lead after the first two quarters. However, midway through the fourth quarter, the Magis Eagles unleashed a rally that trimmed the deficit to 41-47.
Two consecutive three-pointers by UV, however, halted Ateneo’s momentum and sealed the win.
With the victory, UV improved to a 2-0 record, while Ateneo dropped to its second straight loss.
The CEC Dragons leaned on Cedric dela Rosa’s 18 points to fashion a 73-52 victory in a physical contest against the University of San Carlos Baby Warriors.
The Dragons’ offense caught fire early, racing to a 27-10 lead in the first quarter and closing the first half ahead, 39-15.
Although the Baby Warriors never raised the white flag and continued to fight, they could not match the steady offense of the Dragons under coach Mark Anthony Tallo, who also improved to 2-0 in their campaign. USC slipped to a 0-2 record.
Meanwhile, the CIT-U Baby Wildcats also punished the University of San Jose–Recoletos (USJ-R) Baby Jaguars, 68-55.
John Paul Desquitado and Mak Juan Geraldez scored 14 and 12 points, respectively, as CIT-U notched its second straight win.
“I’m very proud of the kids because they really executed our game plan—defense first, and the offense will follow,” said assistant coach Floyd Taboada.
This marks CIT-U’s first year competing in the 15-under category. Taboada described the competition as very challenging, noting how balanced the field is, with every team capable of putting up a strong fight.
The games resume at the UV gym on Saturday, where the 12-under division will take center stage starting at 1 p.m.
CIT-U will face USC in the opening game, while defending champion CEC Dragons will battle Ateneo.
In the main game, Don Bosco will test the mettle of the USJ-R Jaguars. (JBM)