CAGAYAN de Oro City — Team Escobido rallied from a 10-point third-quarter deficit to beat the younger Team Umandac, 65-59, and capture the 2026 President’s Cup Ballpals Inter-Color basketball tournament title. 

The veterans completed their comeback at the refurbished covered court of Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (MOGCHS), relying on teamwork and late-game shooting to turn the championship game around. 

With the score at 56-54 in Escobido’s favor, former Liceo Titans shooting guard Babart Acaylar sank a crucial three-pointer with less than two minutes remaining, stretching the lead to 59-54 and helping seal the victory. 

Guards Anton Pabillore and Noel “Bolato” Manlosa led the team’s push in the second half as Escobido overcame the younger squad’s early advantage. 

For Pabillore, a former member of the 1991 UAAP champion FEU Tamaraws, the win was about more than another tournament crown. It was also a reunion of longtime Ballpals players who wanted to prove they could still compete against younger opponents. 

“We were challenged because they said we could not beat the younger players. We played as a solid team in the final,” Pabillore told Gold Star Daily. 

He credited the Acaylar brothers, Babart and Buting, along with the team’s veteran players, for refusing to give up when they fell behind. 

Escobido also drew energy from 66-year-old Peter Jarap and fellow senior players Roberto Tan Reyes and Bongmark Mercado. They were joined by Jay Acaylar, Joseph Sumanga, Bobong Cabatuan, Evan Señoron, Regie Ranes, Kidd Escobido, Magtrayo, Bonggo and Angelo Mijares, among others. 

Team Umandac, led by Archer Lingaton, featured younger players Tonton Balaba, Kano Luntad Madridano, Sherwin Rafols and Jay Daanoy. 

Madridano recalled that his team had held a lead of seven to 10 points, but Escobido gained momentum in the closing stretch. 

Lingaton, a retired police officer and president of the Ballpals club, accepted the loss and congratulated the winners, emphasizing the importance of sportsmanship. 

Both teams received cash prizes and trophies during an awarding ceremony and victory celebration at the home of Ballpals board member Gino Potot in Soldiers Hill, Barangay Bulua. Team Escobido received ₱7,000, while Team Umandac took home ₱5,000. 

For Escobido’s veterans, the championship was a reminder that experience and teamwork can still make the difference when a game is on the line.