THE University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers tightened their hold on second place after turning back the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers, 76-69, in the Cesafi Season 26 men’s basketball tournament at the UV Gym on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026.
With the victory, the Green Lancers improved to 7-2, staying close behind league leader Benedicto College (BC) Cheetahs, who sport an 8-1 card.
Winston Bingil once again led UV with 13 points and eight rebounds.
Raul Gentallan provided solid support with 12 points and eight rebounds to earn Player of the Game honors, while Ivan Clark Alsola chipped in 10 points and six rebounds.
The victory did not come easy for UV, as the Panthers put up a stiff fight early and battled until the final buzzer.
USPF took an 18-17 lead after the opening quarter, but the Green Lancers bounced back in the second period to take a 38-31 advantage at halftime.
The Panthers refused to back down and tried to close the gap in the third quarter, but UV managed to protect its lead, 59-55, heading into the final period.
Wildcats claw Warriors
In the other game, the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats opened their second-round campaign in impressive fashion, dominating the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors, 62-48.
After falling behind by 11 points in the opening quarter, the Wildcats roared back with a blistering 21-2 rally in the second period that paved the way for their fifth victory in nine games.
CIT-U limited the Warriors to just two points in the entire second quarter to take a 28-18 halftime lead.
From there, the Wildcats never looked back, weathering several attempts by USC to close the gap. CIT-U stretched its advantage to 52-34 in the third quarter, putting the game firmly within its grasp.
Point guard John Eimrod Rodulfa spearheaded the Wildcats with 16 points, including four three-pointers, while Jeshram Baliwan added 13 points and 12 rebounds.
The Wildcats’ leading scorer, Braebon Ali Thompson, was held to just eight points and three rebounds.
James Gica paced USC with 17 points, while Uriel Salazar Avial contributed 12.
The Warriors, however, played without key player Jhoernel Tangkay, who was sidelined by an injury. Although present on the bench, Tangkay was in civilian clothes and did not see action.
With the win, CIT-U improved to 5-4, tying USC and the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters at fourth behind third-running University of San Jose-Recoletos (5-3).
But the Wildcats have little time to celebrate. Their next assignment is a showdown with defending champion UV on Sunday, a major test against one of the league’s top contenders.
If CIT-U can sustain the intensity and resilience it displayed against USC, coach Felix Belano and his Wildcats have every reason to believe they can pull off another big win.
Against UV, however, they must prove they are not just capable of winning games — they are ready to climb higher in the standings. / JBM