Team Khalifa nabs back-to-back wins in 1st Mayor Garcia Cup

A basketball ball. | AP

CEBU CITY, Philippines— Team Khalifa bolstered its Final Four contention chances in the 1st Mayor Raymond Garcia Cup 2025 Invitational Basketball Tournament after cruising past Lymar Cebu, 96-68, on Tuesday night, January 28.

The victory marked Team Khalifa’s second straight win, improving their record to 3-1 and boosting their chances of securing a semifinal spot.

University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Fighting Maroons guard JZ Dizon and former UP Diliman recruit Jancork Cabahug spearheaded the offensive charge, each scoring 17 points. Cabahug also hauled in eight rebounds, while Dizon contributed one rebound and a steal during their game held at the Cebu City Sports Institute in Barangay Sawang Calero.

SJ Moore provided additional firepower with 15 points, five rebounds, and two blocks, while former USJ-R Jaguars team captain Elmer Echavez Jr. chipped in 10 markers.

Lymar Cebu suffered its fourth consecutive defeat, remaining winless in the tournament. Despite the loss, Shaq Imperial delivered a game-high 23 points along with five rebounds, three assists, and a steal.

Veteran Jojo Tangkay added 14 points, while Iron Suano contributed 11, but their efforts fell short in turning Lymar Cebu’s fortunes around.

RKF ILOILO VS FIESTA GAS

In another matchup, RKF Iloilo matched Team Khalifa’s 3-1 record after overpowering Fiesta Gas, 87-69.

Jay-r Sumido led the charge with 14 points, four rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Miles Canal was a rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with 11 points, nine boards, and one block.

Jeckster Apinan and Cedrick Ablaza added 12 and 10 points, respectively, helping the reigning Sinulog Cup 2025 champions secure another victory.

Gab Cometa paced Fiesta Gas with 17 points, but his performance wasn’t enough to prevent their second straight loss in the Mayor Garcia Cup. Fiesta Gas now holds a 1-3 record.

EGS SOLID NORTH VS METRO CARS

Meanwhile, EGS Solid North Party List remained the only undefeated team in the tournament, improving to 4-0 after escaping Metro Cars-Stampede with a narrow 64-61 win.

Despite missing key players Encho Serrano, John Uduba, and Jousef Taha, EGS Solid North managed to grind out a victory behind the efforts of Will Kean Lee and Redel Fabro, who scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Jun Daanoy led Metro Cars-Stampede with 16 points, but his squad dropped to 1-3 following their third loss in four games.

With last night’s outcomes, it’s already clear which of the six competing teams will advance and stage the much-awaited Final Four later tonight, adding more excitement to this tournament.