Games Tuesday
Sept. 30, 2025
5:15 PM – CEC vs. UCLM (HS)
6:45 PM – UPC vs. UC (Coll)
AFTER suffering three consecutive defeats, the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats pulled off a surprising 72-65 victory over the University of Southern Philippines-Foundation (USPF) Panthers, 72-65, in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) men’s basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025.
Veteran Jerian Marc Abello led the Wildcats with 23 points, four rebounds, three steals, and two assists.
After a tightly contested first half that ended at 32-34 in favor of USPF, CIT-U unleashed a 14-5 rally midway through the third quarter to seize the a 46-39 lead.
During that rally, Abello -- supported by Bruce Angelo Pinuela and Regie Ayon -- drained two three-pointers and scored 10 points.
From thereon, the Wildcats maintained control and stretched their lead to as much as 13 points, 59-46, with 7:53 left in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers, coached by Paul Alelu Flores, attempted a late comeback, cutting the deficit to 69-65 after Paulo Dalumpines sank two free throws with 1:22 remaining.
But that proved to be their final push as CIT-U’s John Oliveros split his two free throws and Pinuela cooly sank two more from the charity line to seal the win.
CIT head coach Felix Donbel Belano expressed hope that this win would spark momentum for the team after its early slump.
“We take it one game at a time. We treat every game like a championship game. We believe we can win, no matter who we’re up against. That’s our team’s mantra right now,” said the former PBA point guard.
“We watched film from our previous losses and corrected things during practice. Every detail, from defense to offense, we really went back to basics. I keep telling my players to focus on improvement and the team goal,” he added.
In another college division match, the defending champions University of the Visayas Green Lancers logged their fifth straight win by crushing University of the Philippines-Cebu, 92-74.
In the high school division, the University of Cebu Baby Webmasters cruised to an easy 77-57 victory over the USPF Baby Panthers.
The Benedicto College Baby Cheetahs also dominated San Carlos School of Cebu, 62-48, in the other high school match. / JBM