The 2025 Milcu Sports Got Skills Basketball U16 Talent Identification Program opened with an action-packed first day, highlighted by Leyte’s dominant performance and the National Capital Region (NCR) teams’ strong showing across multiple matchups at the Greenhills West Gym.
Leyte set the tone early with a commanding 89-71 victory over a much taller NCR-Passion Sports squad.
The dynamic duo of 14-year-old Francis Rosales and 15-year-old Christian Onde spearheaded the Visayas powerhouse, each delivering 26 points.
Rosales added eight rebounds, two assists, and five steals, while Onde contributed five boards, four steals, and two dimes to secure the lopsided win and propel Leyte to a 1-0 record in Group A.
Their relentless energy neutralized the size advantage of NCR-Passion Sports, which featured a towering frontline composed of 6-foot-10 Andwil Yap, 6-foot-7 Sander Maranan, and 6-foot-5 Sacred Toring.
Leyte came out firing, racing to a 33-21 lead in the opening quarter. NCR-Passion Sports briefly cut the deficit to nine early in the second, but Rosales responded with a crucial 14-5 run to give Leyte a comfortable 51-33 halftime lead.
Captain Rowee Cabañero further fueled Leyte’s dominance with 17 points, seven assists, four steals, and two rebounds. A crucial assist from Cabañero led to an Onde layup, extending the lead to 64-43 midway through the third.
“Tulad ng sinabi ko sa mga bata, pasalamat ako sa Panginoon e. Nag-simba kami kahapon, sabi ko mag-pray tayo at i-humble natin ‘yung mga sarili natin,” said Leyte head coach Cliff Tesocan.
“Sa opening pa lang [ng game ang] intimidating na, sabi ko tignan niyo ‘yung mga katabi niyo ang lalaki pero ayon, ayaw lang talaga nila magpatalo. Uhaw lang talaga ‘yung Leyte na magpakita ng laro nila.”
Bukidnon also secured a hard-fought victory in Group A, fending off Cavite with a thrilling 79-76 escape.
Bukidnon nearly squandered a 16-point lead as Cavite’s DJ Marasigan ignited a late rally, scoring six straight points, including two clutch free throws with 13.3 seconds left to trim the gap to two.
However, a split free throw from Jairus Ramos sealed the win for Bukidnon as Marasigan’s last-second three-point attempt missed the mark.
CJ Genorol led Bukidnon with 20 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and two steals.
The morning session wrapped up with NCR-MTJH edging out the Bulacan Hawks, 69-63, behind Andrew Sanchez’s 18-point effort and Caleb Liwanag’s 15 markers.
Meanwhile, the NCR contingent dominated the afternoon slate with a pair of statement victories in Group C. NCR-JHOOP trounced Laguna with a 69-46 victory, while NCR-SGAxLGR overwhelmed Muntinlupa, 86-67, as both teams grabbed 1-0 starts.
NCR-JHOOP leaned on a balanced scoring attack, with 6-foot-1 Marcus Reonisto leading the charge with 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and one steal. The 6-foot-5 Raven Restificar added eight points and 13 boards to help secure the win.
On the other hand, 15-year-old LJ Pascual exploded for 23 points, knocking down three triples to lead NCR-SGAxLGR. He received ample support from Carl Delos Reyes and team captain Marvic Mesina, who chipped in 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Other teams also made their presence felt on opening day. Pampanga, NCR-Safestep, and Bacolod secured wins in their respective brackets.
Travis Pascual and Yujin Peña powered Pampanga to a 70-59 victory, while second-generation star Sky Jazul guided Safestep past Ilocos with an 81-54 win, tallying 15 points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
Bacolod, led by Seth Guarino and Gian Vasquez, survived a tough challenge from Cebu, 59-53, to cap off the day’s action.
