LEARNING from his first two games, former PBA mainstay Roger Yap finally clinched his first win as a rookie coach in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) when the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars crushed newcomer University of Cebu-Lapulapu and Mandaue (UCLM) Webmasters, 75-46, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, at the New Cebu Coliseum.
Right from the opening tip, the Jaguars broke away with a 20-10 run before unleashing another 23-4 rally in the second quarter to take a commanding 43-14 halftime lead.
The Jaguars employed a trapping defense at midcourt, forcing the Webmasters of coach Dondon Hontiveros into a series of turnovers that led to the lopsided defeat.
It was a totally different Webmasters squad from the team that stunned the highly favored Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats, 64-58, last Saturday, Sept. 12.
Hontiveros, known as the “Cebuano Hotshot” during his PBA days and also a rookie Cesafi coach, tried to rotate his players in search of the right combination, but to no avail.
The Webmasters attempted several rallies in the fourth quarter but could not sustain their momentum as the Jaguars went berserk down the stretch.
“First of all, we thank God because He gave us the victory,” said Yap, a 13-year PBA veteran. “I also thank the players for doing what we practiced. In our last two games, we were probably still adjusting, that’s why we struggled. But at least now, we finally got the win, for the first time.”
Yap said he did not expect such a big win against UCLM, especially after the Webmasters surprisingly defeated CIT-U, the same team that handily beat the Jaguars, 71-55, last Aug. 30.
Alcher Obra fired 23 points and hauled down seven rebounds to earn Player of the Game honors, while flashy point guard Benedict Brigoli added 13 points for the Jaguars.
For the losing side, Marty Louisse Sotto was the only Webmaster to score in double figures with 12 points. He also grabbed five rebounds.
Overall, USJ-R outrebounded UCLM, 28-19. Although the Webmasters committed only 18 turnovers compared to the Jaguars’ 24, they only had five assists against USJ-R’s 18.
With the win, USJ-R is now toting a 1-2 slate, while UCLM dropped to 1-3.
CIT-U routs Paref
In the high school division, the CIT-U Junior Wildcats showed no mercy in devastating newcomer Paref Springdate School (PSS) Titans, 88-61.
The victory was the Junior Wildcats’ second straight after suffering a setback against the USJ-R Jaguar Cubs on Sept. 6. Paref remains winless.
Geoffe Vhon Partosa was simply unstoppable, erupting for 29 points on six three-pointers and an 11-of-15 shooting performance from the field.
He also grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists and made two steals to earn Best Player of the Game honors.
Vincent Zamora also gave Paref plenty of headaches with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Skierl Basilisco added 12 points, four rebounds, three blocks, three steals, and two assists.
For Paref, Riche Sarmiento II led the way with 30 points, but the lack of offensive support from his teammates contributed to their heavy defeat.
Anton Gratones added 15 points but failed to finish the game after suffering a knee injury. / JBM