THE University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars clawed their way back into the thick of the fight after pulling off a gritty 58-56 upset over the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) Season 26 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday night, Oct. 3, 2026, at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Jaguars held their nerve in a tight battle from start to finish, protecting a slim lead in the final quarter to escape with the hard-earned victory.
USJ-R built its biggest lead at nine points and carried a 49-42 advantage into the final period. But the Warriors refused to fold.
The Warriors threatened to turn the game around in the closing minutes, but the Jaguars stood their ground and held on for the two-point victory.
Christian Carl Sollano led the Jaguars with 13 points and six rebounds, while Kirst Ryll Da Silva, Artenny Ilustrisimo and Michael Villasan chipped in eight points apiece. Da Silva also hauled down six rebounds.
The Warriors were paced by Rea Ener Aureo with 14 points and six rebounds, while Jhoernel Tangkay added 11 points and six rebounds, and James Gica contributed 10 points.
USJ-R jumped to a 23-18 lead after the opening quarter and maintained its advantage at halftime, 35-32. The Jaguars stretched the margin to seven, 49-42, after three quarters before surviving USC’s late charge.
The victory improved USJ-R to a 4-3 (win-loss) record, tied at fourth place with the Cebu Institute of Technology-University Wildcats and the University of Cebu-Main Webmasters.
USC, meanwhile, slipped to a 5-2 slate for solo third. / JBM