Dio Gabriel Gonzales (in blue jersey) of the UC Baby Webmasters fakes a shot catching two USC Baby Warriors defenders off guard in their Cesafi High School basketball game. | Photo from Sugbuanong Kodaker
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The University of Cebu (UC) Baby Webmasters delivered a lopsided 83-49 win against the University of San Carlos (USC) Baby Warriors, in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) Season 24 High School Basketball Tournament on Saturday, October 26, at the Cebu Coliseum.
This decisive victory boosts the Baby Webmasters’ chances of making it to the Final Four, improving their record to 6-1.
With this win, UC has positioned itself among the league’s top contenders, potentially tying with defending champions Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles, last season’s runners-up, University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers, and University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Baby Jaguars—all of whom hold 5-1 records and will play later today.
READ: Baby Lancers crush UC in marquee high school showdown
In contrast, the USC Baby Warriors faced their sixth consecutive defeat, effectively ending their playoff hopes this season.
Aggressive conversion
The UC Baby Webmasters took control of their Cesafi game on Saturday with a lead that ballooned to as many as 36 points, 81-45, in the final minutes.
READ: CESAFI: UC Webmasters claim top spot after win over USC
Their dominance was particularly evident in the paint, where they outscored USC 32-14, and in their aggressive conversion of turnovers, which contributed to a 37-8 scoring advantage.
Despite a slow start marked by a 0-5 deficit and six early lead changes, UC quickly recovered and never looked back.
READ: CESAFI: UC Baby Webmasters outplays UCLM to go 4-0
Leading the charge for the Baby Webmasters was Stephen Pagalan, who posted a game-high 19 points, along with three rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Team captain Jake Lordwin Yong contributed 11 points, four rebounds, three steals, and one assist. Dio Gabriel Gonzales and Gino Dela Puerta each chipped in nine points, further sealing UC’s dominant performance.
For USC, Xian Garcia scored 12 points, and Neil Ibarita added 11 points in a valiant but ultimately insufficient effort.