THE Cebu Greats drew inspiration from their fellow Cebuanos affected by the recent 6.9-magnitude earthquake, pulling off an emotional 65–57 victory over the Davao Tigers in their MPBL play-in knockout match on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at the Mindoro Sports Complex.
“The earthquake that struck Cebu was a very big motivation for all of us,” said team manager Jhon Santos. “Our players’ pride is to make the Cebuanos happy after the earthquake. We may not be there, but we will fight to make Cebu great again.”
Playoff hopes
With the win, Cebu’s flickering playoff hopes remain alive. If they secure another victory in their next assignment, they will clinch the final slot for the next round.
The Cebu Greats played under Ronjay Enrile’s command, as head coach Junthy Valenzuela remains in his hometown of Bogo City, which is near the epicenter of the earthquake that hit Cebu on Sept. 30.
After a toe-to-toe contest in the first two quarters, the Cebu Greats went on a 15–9 run. Jun Manzo’s free throws with 2:15 left in the third quarter gave Cebu a 59–46 lead.
They continued to play with precision and intensity, quickly stretching the margin to as much as 13 points, 62–49, as Paul Desiderio and Brylle Ivan Meca joined the scoring spree.
The Davao Tigers — who defeated Cebu in the elimination round — tried to push all the buttons on both ends, but could not sustain momentum down the stretch. Manzo and Desiderio led Cebu with 15 points each, while veteran JR Quiñahan contributed seven points and grabbed nine rebounds.
Quiñahan, who now owns the “Adobohan ni Quiñahan” eatery, said the team was inspired by the events in Cebu.
“The players were even more inspired to play. We dedicated this game to Cebu, especially to those affected by the earthquake. At the very least, we hope our victory can give them a little joy,” Quiñahan said in Cebuano.
“We haven’t celebrated yet because we still have one more game, another knockout match to qualify for the playoffs,” he added. / JBM