CESAFI SEASON 26: UC Baby Webmasters steamroll BC Baby Cheetahs in season opener

The UC Baby Webmasters. | Cesafi photo CEBU CITY, Philippines — The University of Cebu (UC) Baby Webmasters opened their Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) Season 26 High School Basketball Tournament campaign in dominant fashion, routing the Benedicto College (BC) Baby Cheetahs, 61-40, Tuesday night at the Cebu Coliseum. The Baby Webmasters were originally scheduled to make their debut last Saturday, September 5, but their game, along with three others, was postponed due to haze caused by wildfires in Indonesia. The scheduling setback did little to slow down last season's finalists, as UC came out firing and led from start to finish, building a lead of as many as 24 points. The Baby Webmasters also made full use of their size advantage, dominating the paint, 42-18. Jade Bialan immediately made his presence felt, posting a game-high 20 points and 15 rebounds for a double-double. He also stuffed the stat sheet with five blocks, one steal, and one assist. Bialan shot 9-of-18 from the field for a 50% clip and did not attempt a three-pointer. Jay Xander Bulagsak added 12 points, five rebounds, and one assist, while John Day Jorquia chipped in 10 points and seven boards. UC reached last year's finals under unusual circumstances after the UCLM Junior Webmasters were disqualified because of a forfeiture before the Final Four, elevating the Baby Webmasters to the semifinals. UC then defeated the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers in the semifinals to earn a finals date with the then-four-time defending champions, the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles. The Baby Webmasters, however, were swept in the finals. Looking to make a deeper run this season, UC brought in veteran coach Calib Gawangon during the offseason in a coaching swap within the university. Gawangon took over the Baby Webmasters, while former UC coach Reggie Licanda moved to UCLM to handle its high school team. For Benedicto College, Axel Joseph Orospisa led the Baby Cheetahs with 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting. He was the team's lone player in double figures and also contributed five rebounds and four steals. Christeim Gascon and Andre Patino combined for 15 points as the Baby Cheetahs fell to 0-2 in the tournament. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. Subscribe to our daily newsletter SIGN ME UP Read Next