The Smart-NBTC Visayas Regional Championship once again belong to Team Khalifa.
Team Khalifa was the better Cebuano team as it remained at the peak of the 2025 Smart-NBTC Visayas Regional Championship, dominating University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguar Cubs with a wire-to-wire 75-54 win Sunday at Bacolod Tay Tung High School in Negros Occidental.
The defending champions left little to doubt, starting off with a blazing 25-6 first quarter assault and never looked back, even stretching the lead to as many as 32.
So in control was Team Khalifa that Mythical Team member Johncel Borjal willingly took the backseat and only registered nine points and six rebounds in 20 minutes of play in the finale which capped off the team’s perfect 7-0 campaign.
Lloyd Amadeo Gutang collected 10 points, six boards, four steals, and two assists, Jerome Arboiz also chipped in 10 points and four rebounds, and Jay Ver Palco got 10 points and two boards in the commanding conquest for the boys of former Arellano big man and NBTC alumnus Julius Cadavis.
Mythical Team member Kyle Matthew Barrieta kept the fire burning for USJ-R in the losing effort as he topped his side with 12 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists.
Aside from the crown, the finalists have already secured their slots in the 2025 Smart-NBTC National Finals presented by SM Supermalls and Playtime Cares as the Visayas representatives.
John Loyd Martinez also turned heads and snared the Regional Most Outstanding Player honors after powering El Tzino/Davies in the Regional Wildcard phase and into the Nationals.
Magnificent all tournament long, the stud from San Enrique, Negros Occidental became the first player to win the top individual award to not come from a champion team especially with how he helped his side take the 69-57 victory over Bleachers Roadstar Transit of South Negros, anchoring his crew to the promised land after a sensational 18-point, 8-rebound, 6-steal, and 5-assist performance.
Meanwhile, University of Southern Philippines Foundation delivered a 70-60 drubbing of City of Talisay-Notre Dame in the other Regional Wildcard to make it three Cebu teams qualifying to the Nationals.
Fritz John Gonzales drilled 20 points on 2-of-5 shooting from deep for the Baby Panthers to cement his place in the Mythical Team, as Raymund Sean Chavez and John Howard Ta-ala chipped in 10 each.
Burj Gabriel Lapu-os kept the fight going for Talisay with his 19 points and eight rebounds, while Jay Vincent Salazar and Khent Vincent Arriesgado got 12 points apiece to make up for the silent night for Mythical Team member Gino dela Puerta, who only scored four points but still grabbed nine rebounds and dished out five assists in the loss.
The last four of the 16 tickets to the National Finals, which is also sponsored by Adidas, Molten, Swish, and JProject, will be given out in the South Luzon Regional Championship to be held on March 16 to 19 in General Trias and Imus, Cavite.