UV’s Roderick Cambarijan goes for a layup during their Cesafi Season 24 High School game against USJ-R. | Photo from Sugbuanong Kodaker
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers maintained their perfect record in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) Season 24 High School Basketball Tournament after a hard-fought 73-70 victory over the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Baby Jaguars on Sunday, October 6, at the Cebu Coliseum.
With this win, the Baby Lancers improved to 3-0, while USJ-R suffered their first loss of the season, dropping to 2-1.
The contest featured intense back-and-forth action, particularly in the second half, despite only four lead changes and three ties throughout the game.
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Both teams demonstrated their resolve, with the Baby Lancers mounting a significant comeback to regain the lead at 64-58, leveraging a strong outside shooting performance that accounted for 36 of their points, despite a challenging overall shooting night of 12-of-42 from beyond the arc.
USJ-R, however, refused to back down, staying within striking distance until the final moments. A critical misstep by the Baby Jaguars in the last minute—resulting in a series of fouls that sent UV to the free-throw line—proved detrimental.
Although the Baby Lancers struggled at the charity stripe, converting only 11 of 19 attempts, they capitalized on these opportunities to secure the win.
UV’s championship experience shone through in the clutch moments.
Roderick Cambarijan Jr. led the way for the Baby Lancers, finishing with a game-high 19 points, complemented by three assists, three blocks, and one steal.
John Dela Torre contributed significantly as well, scoring 16 points—including seven from the free-throw line—while also grabbing five rebounds and dishing out two assists. Kenneth Cole added 11 points to the team’s total.
For USJ-R, JV Oringo delivered a standout performance, recording a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Al Johans Rajah and Kyle Barrieta each chipped in with 13 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the disciplined play of UV in the final minutes.