Cesafi Basketball Semifinals Advanced Due to Typhoon Wilma

The onset of Typhoon Wilma prompted the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) to reschedule the semifinals of its college and high school basketball tournaments, originally set for Saturday, December 6, 2025, at the Cebu Coliseum. Deputy Commissioner Danny Duran explained that the decision to move the games forward to Friday, December 5, was made in response to appeals from the involved schools.

According to the revised schedule, the semifinals will pit the number one seeded team against the fourth seed, and the second seed against the third seed in both divisions. The top two teams will benefit from a twice-to-beat advantage, rewarding their higher rankings during the elimination rounds.

Currently, the college division has finalized its semifinal pairings. The No. 1 University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters will face the No. 4 University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors, while the No. 2 and defending champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers will challenge the No. 3 Benedicto College (BC) Cheetahs.

The UC Webmasters, coached by Kernn Sesante, hold a psychological edge over the USC Warriors led by Paul Joven, after having defeated them twice during the double-round elimination phase. Their first encounter on September 20 ended with the Webmasters winning 55-42, followed by a 69-56 victory on November 27.

Despite these results, the Warriors are expected to make significant tactical adjustments based on lessons learned from their two losses against the Webmasters this season.

Key players for the Webmasters include Ricofer Sordilla, Ray Charles Libatog, Carlo Salgarino, Jepherson Nonol, and John Carl Angelio. The Warriors will rely on the talents of James Paolo Gica, Kyle Maglinte, Jhoernel Vince Tangkay, Reil Einer Aureo, and Rey James Enriquez.

The semifinal matchup between the Green Lancers and the Cheetahs is anticipated to be highly competitive, as the two teams split their elimination games. The Cheetahs captured their first meeting on October 26, 76-65, but the Green Lancers avenged the loss on December 3 with a 72-63 win.

Meanwhile, the high school division semifinal matchups are still to be confirmed pending the outcome of the ongoing game between the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu Mandaue (UCLM) and Don Bosco Technological Center (DBTC) Greywolves, which was underway on Friday, December 5.

This schedule adjustment ensures that athletes and teams can safely prepare and compete despite disruptions caused by Typhoon Wilma.