THE Benedicto College Cheetahs pulled off a dominant 67-50 victory over the favored University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters to seize solo leadership in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) Season 26 men’s basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum on Tuesday night, Sept. 15, 2026.
With the win, Benedicto remains the only undefeated team in the college division with an unblemished 3-0 record.
Mentored by head coach BJ Murillo, the Cheetahs got off to a hot start, jumping out to a 21-10 lead in the opening quarter. They maintained control throughout the contest with suffocating defense, forcing the Webmasters into 24 turnovers.
With the presence of big men Jesli dela Cruz, Nicole Jay Cabañero, Serge Gabinez, and rookie Alcher Pabalan, the Cheetahs also dominated the paint.
The Cheetahs stretched their lead to as many as 20 points.
What compounded UC’s woes was the disqualification of Ricofer Sordilla, who fouled out with stll 5:20 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Flashy point guard John Carlo Sabroso paced Benedicto’s attack with 15 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals.
Player of the Game honors, however, went to Kenneth Babalcon, who masterfully orchestrated the offense with 11 assists and nine points.
Sordilla was held to just 11 points for the Webmasters.
“Right now, we are at the top of the standings. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum going because UC is one of our toughest opponents,” Coach Murillo said in Cebuano.
It was a double celebration for Benedicto College as its high school squad, the Baby Cheetahs, also notched its first win of the season by downing newcomer San Roque College de Cebu (SRCDC) Greyhounds, 70-50.
Trailing by 20 points, SRCDC launched a fierce fourth-quarter rally to trim the gap to 51-46. But that proved to be the Greyhounds’ final push as the Baby Cheetahs responded and pulled away for good.
Jake David Guangco led the Baby Cheetahs with 13 points and five rebounds, while Rajnish Butaslac added 10 points.
Anthony Ross Luche was the lone Greyhound in double figures, finishing with 14 points. / JBM