CEBU CITY, Philippines — The University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers are looking to build momentum in their bid for a fifth straight Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) collegiate basketball crown when they face the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars on Sunday, September 20, at the Cebu Coliseum.
The matchup comes with both teams carrying fresh momentum.
UV finally broke into the win column on September 13, overpowering the University of the Philippines Cebu Fighting Maroons, 94-65, after opening its Season 26 campaign with an 81-68 upset loss to the University of San Carlos (USC).
The Green Lancers were led by Raul Gentallan, who exploded for 25 points while adding three rebounds, six assists and four steals. Kent Ivo Salarda contributed 14 points, while AJ Sacayan and John Paul Bautista added 13 and 11, respectively. UV turned a narrow 45-44 halftime lead into a 71-53 advantage by outscoring UP Cebu, 26-9, in the third quarter.
That victory put UV at 1-1 heading into its meeting with USJ-R, giving coach Gary Cortes and his squad a chance to string together consecutive wins.
But the Jaguars are entering the game with their own confidence boost.
USJ-R routed the UCLM Webmasters 75-46 on September 17, according to the official CESAFI results. The victory moved the Jaguars to 2-1 at that point in the collegiate standings.
The result also makes Sunday’s matchup more intriguing: UV enters after a 29-point victory of its own, while USJ-R arrives from a 29-point demolition of UCLM.
UV’s Road to a Fifth Straight Crown
UV began Season 26 as the defending four-time CESAFI collegiate champion. The Green Lancers have dominated the competition since 2022 and secured their 17th overall CESAFI collegiate championship last season.
The team is therefore attempting to extend its championship streak to five consecutive titles.
However, the early season has already shown that the Lancers cannot afford a slow start.
USC stunned UV 81-68 in the season opener on August 30, with Jhoernel Tangkay nearly posting a triple-double after recording 18 points, 11 rebounds and nine steals. USC built a 40-34 halftime lead before extending the advantage to 62-50 after three quarters.
UV responded strongly against UP Cebu, but the USJ-R game presents another opportunity to measure whether the defending champions can establish consistency early in their title defense.
USJ-R Looking to Keep the Momentum
The Jaguars have already shown they can compete in a tightly packed CESAFI field.
Before their latest victory over UCLM, USJ-R had a 1-2? Correction: the official CESAFI team page currently lists USJ-R at 2-1, with its most recent result being the 75-46 win over UCLM.
The official CESAFI schedule confirms that UV Green Lancers and USJ-R Jaguars are scheduled to meet at the Cebu Coliseum on Sunday, September 20, with the collegiate game listed at 5 p.m. Philippine time.
That puts an early-season storyline on the line: UV wants to turn its breakthrough win over UP Cebu into another victory, while USJ-R will attempt to carry its own offensive momentum into a meeting with the defending champions.
With both teams coming off convincing wins, the next chapter of CESAFI Season 26 could hinge on which squad sustains its recent form when the opening tip arrives.
The defending champions have found their footing. The Jaguars have found theirs, too. Sunday will show which momentum survives.
