DAVAO CITY — Blackwater and NLEX are set to clash for the championship of the 2025 Kadayawan Invitational Basketball Tournament after defeating separate opponents on Saturday at the USEP Gym.
Blackwater completed the group stage with a perfect 3-0 record following a thrilling 93-91 win over Converge. Sedrick Barefield led the Bossing with 26 points and seven rebounds, while RK Ilagan delivered a well-rounded performance with 16 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and six steals. Blackwater built a lead of up to 13 points before holding off a late surge.
NLEX secured its spot in the finals with a 100-96 victory over Phoenix, finishing the preliminaries with a 2-1 slate. Robert Bolick paced the Road Warriors with 27 points, including five three-pointers on nine attempts, while JB Bahio added 16 points and eight rebounds.
The championship game is scheduled for Sunday at 7 p.m. at the USEP Gym. Blackwater will carry momentum into the matchup, having defeated NLEX 95-90 in their earlier meeting last Friday, where the Bossing overcame a 17-point deficit.
In the third-place game, Converge (1-2) will face Phoenix (0-3) at 5 p.m. Tyler Tio and Raffy Verano scored 14 and 12 points respectively in Phoenix’s loss to NLEX, while Alec Stockton and Justin Arana tallied 19 and 14 points for Converge.
The tournament is organized by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Davao Chapter under regional director Glenn Escandor, with the support of the City Government of Davao through Mayor Sebastian Duterte. The event is part of the city’s celebration of the Kadayawan Festival, showcasing top-tier basketball talent and community spirit.
