Top universities lock horns in Cebu City inter-collegiate hoops

Sports

TWO Cebu City-based schools will try to hold their ground against three visiting teams from Manila in the 2025 Cebu City Inter-Collegiate Basketball Tournament, which will fire off on Wednesday, August 20, at the Cebu City Sports Insitute Gym in Barangay Sawang Calero, Cebu City.

The University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors and the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) will carry Cebu City’s banner against some of the top teams from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Representing UAAP is the Adamson University (AdU) Falcons of head coach Nash Racela while the Olsen Racela-coached University of Perpetual System Altas and the Charles Tiu-mentored College of Saint Benilde Blazers will carry the fight for NCAA.

Set to face off in the lone game during the opening day are the Warriors and the Jaguars. Tip-off is at 8 p.m.

On Thursday, August 21,the Warriors will take on the Altas at 5 p.m. while the Blazers collide with the Falcons at 7:30 p.m.

Tournament director Rocky Alcoseba said the six-day competition is fully backed by the Cebu City Government headed by Mayor Nestor Archival Sr.

“Mayor Nestor has a big hand in the realization of this tournament. I was in Bayugan City serving as a commissioner of a basketball tournament when he called me up. I explained to him why I was there and he asked me if I could bring those Manila teams participating in Bayugan to Cebu. I said yes so we came up with this tournament,” Alcoseba said.

With the top UAAP and NCAA teams coming to town, Alcoseba assured that basketball fans will be treated to slam-bang games without spending a single centavo.

Alcoseba said fans can watch the games for free by just bringing three single-use plastics.

“We all know that our mayor is a staunch environmental advocate so he just required three single-use plastics for every spectator to push forward his advocacy,” Alcoseba said.

Alcoseba added that each team from Manila will also be holding an outreach activity in a pre-selected barangay in Cebu City.

Tournament format states that the top two teams after a single-round robin classification round will fight for the championship. The No. 3 and No. 4 squads will play for third place.

Champion team will bring home P150,000 while the first runner-up will get P100,000. Non-finalists will also bring home consolation prizes.(CCM)