THE Mighty Warriors/Sherilin and RKF-Iloilo both finished strong in the elimination round of the 2026 Cebu City Charter Day Cup after winning their games on Sunday, Feb. 22, at the City Sports Institute gym.
Both teams ended the eliminations with perfect 3-0 records, earning the top two spots in the semifinals.
Mighty Warriors survive close game
The Mighty Warriors defeated the Tiger Ship Builders in a tight match, 82-80.
Matt Flores led the Warriors with 22 points and six rebounds. Raffy Celis scored 15 points, while Joshua dela Cerna added 14.
The Ship Builders had a chance to win in the final seconds, but missed shots and turnovers stopped their comeback. Jun Manzo scored 22 points for the Ship Builders, while Jaybie Mantilla and Paul Desiderio added 15 and 13 points, respectively.
RKF escapes late scare
In the second game, RKF-Iloilo edged Kuya Eric, 95-91.
Former PBA star Arwind Santos led RKF with 28 points, including five three-pointers, plus six rebounds. He was named Best Player of the Game for the second straight time.
RKF controlled most of the game, but Kuya Eric fought back in the fourth quarter. Back-to-back three-pointers by JR QuiƱahan gave Kuya Eric an 83-78 lead.
However, RKF responded quickly. Reinhard Jumamoy, JP Calvo and Billy Robles helped spark the comeback. Calvo finished with 15 points, Jumamoy had 13, and Robles added 11.
For Kuya Eric, Reeve Ugsang scored 18 points, while Jancork Cabahug had 15.
Semifinal matchups set
Despite their losses, the Tiger Ship Builders and Kuya Eric also advanced to the knockout semifinals.
The Ship Builders will face RKF in a rematch, while the Mighty Warriors will take on Kuya Eric.
Earlier in the tournament, RKF defeated the Ship Builders convincingly, but the Tigers are expected to come back stronger as they aim for a Finals spot. RKF, the 2025 Sinulog Cup champion, enters the semifinals as the favorite.
Meanwhile, the rematch between the Mighty Warriors and Kuya Eric is also exciting. In their first meeting last Friday, the Warriors shocked Kuya Eric, 77-75, in a thrilling game that had five lead changes. / JBM