THE University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors survived a late rally by the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters to escape with a narrow 59-58 victory in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) Season 26 men’s basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum on Saturday night, Oct. 24, 2026.
The game ended with a controversial referee’s call that drew protest from the Webmasters’ camp.
Tensions flared in the closing seconds when the referee ruled that Ricofer Sordilla last touched the ball before it went out of bounds as he dribbled toward the basket.
The Webmasters strongly protested the call, insisting that USC’s James Enriquez was the last player to touch the ball before it crossed the boundary line.
UC called for an instant replay to review the crucial decision, but to no avail because the instant replay system (IRS) was reportedly malfunctioning or undergoing repairs.
Unofficial video footage from a supporter appeared to contradict the referee’s ruling, further fueling the Webmasters’ frustration.
Despite UC’s late surge, the Warriors held on to their slim advantage to secure the victory.
The Warriors controlled the game for most of the time, building an 11-point lead, 41-30, at halftime. But just when the Warriors appeared poised to seal the victory, the Webmasters tightened their defense and forced USC into a series of costly errors.
UC then mounted a 7-0 run, capped off by Sordilla’s three-pointer, to trim the deficit to 57-54 with 31.4 seconds left.
Sordilla had a chance to forge a deadlock that would send the game into overtime when he was fouled by Uriel Avila while attempting a shot from three-point range with 19.9 seconds remaining.
However, the UC scoring leader missed his first free throw before calmly sinking his next two attempts to cut USC’s lead to 57-56.
Rey James Enriquez led USC with 21 points, including four three-pointers. Real Einer Aureo added 13 points and seven rebounds, while James Tawacal contributed 10 points and six rebounds.
For UC, Sordilla finished with 18 points, while Eligoyo chipped in 17 points and seven rebounds. Luther Gabriel Leonard added eight points.
With the victory, the Warriors secured sole possession of third place with a 6-4 win-loss record. The UC Main Webmasters, meanwhile, slipped to sixth place at 5-5.
In the other game, league-leading Benedicto College Cheetahs dominated the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars, 75-64. / JBM