THE University of San Jose Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars took a narrow 63-61 victory over the University of the Philippines (UP)-Cebu Fighting Maroons on Tuesday night, Oct. 28 2025, at the Cebu Coliseum.
Fritz Gonzales’ last-second heroics sealed one of the most thrilling contests in the ongoing Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) men’s basketball tournament.
Gonzales delivered the game-winning basket with just 0.05 seconds remaining after receiving a pass from Archer Obra, who found him open in the shaded area during a fastbreak. The play was set in motion after UP’s Andrew Padilla missed a layup in the last five seconds.
Christian Sollano grabbed the defensive rebound following the miss and quickly launched a long pass to Obra, who then dished out the ball to Gonzales for the winning shot. The Jaguars secured their fourth win in eight games, snapping a two-game losing streak.
The victory was sweet for Coach Julius Cadavis’ wards after their consecutive losses to the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors on Oct. 18 and to the league-leading University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters on Sunday.
The Fighting Maroons, who remain at the cellar with a 1-7 card, were on the verge of winning the game after a 5-0 run gave them a 61-59 lead with 2:09 remaining.
However, USJ-R’s tight defense prevented them from stretching the lead despite several attempts. Rodge Aldrich Balbao knotted the count at 61-all with his driving layup in front of UP defenders.
Earlier, the Jaguars appeared headed for an easy win as they posted their biggest lead of 14 points, 47-33, in the third quarter. But their offense stalled for a moment, allowing the Fighting Maroons to fight back and nearly steal the win.
Gonzales, who was 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, topscored for the Jaguars with 15 points. He was the only Jaguar to score in double figures.
For the losing side, Padilla finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Raul Gilbuena added 10 points and eight rebounds for UP.
CEC edges USPF
In the high school division, The Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Dragons solidified their hold on the solo leadership by beating the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Baby Panthers, 52-47.
Louie Estorba powered CEC’s sixth win in seven games, helping the Dragons stay on top of the standings while pushing the Baby Panthers down to 3-3.
Estorba fired 19 points, including three treys, and grabbed five rebounds, earning him the Best Player of the Game award.