The magic of March happened on Wednesday as Yuan Pacheco became the unlikely hero for Pasig’s D’Generals x Dynamix Creative, stunning Davao’s Off Campus x Toyomoto, 84-82, in the Supreme 16 of the 2026 Smart-NBTC National Finals presented by SM at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
With the game tied and just 1.8 seconds left on the clock, Pacheco received an inbound pass from Jhilian Palis and rose for a baseline jumper that sent the Pasig faithful into a frenzy.
It was Pacheco’s first and only basket inside the arc, finishing with five points, three rebounds, and three blocks off the bench, while Palis led the team with 21 points and Ruzzel Del Pozo added 17.
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Awaiting D’Generals x Dynamix Creative in the Fantastic 8 is Division 1 defending champion Fil-Am Nation USA, which cruised past Homegrown Australia, 76-48.
Blaze Johnson, who was invited to Team USA’s camp next week, spearheaded the Fil-Ams with 21 points, nine rebounds, and two steals, proving why they remain the team to beat.
Meanwhile, last year’s finalists Phenom New Zealand-Blue Fire will face University of Santo Tomas.
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The Tiger Cubs stamped their authority over Batang Tiaong RJ MEA, 70-59, behind Jetlee Melano’s 17 points and eight rebounds.
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Phenom, a team led by Kieffer Alas, overcame University of the East, 85-72, with Ram Sharma’s monster 15 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists making the difference.
In other quarterfinals action, NCAA Season 101 juniors basketball finalists advanced with big wins.
Letran defeated FilNation Select LA, 80-75, on Justin Cargo’s 22-point, 10-rebound performance and will next take on Metro Manila regional champion Arceegee-St. Clare, who upset North Luzon regional champion D’Generals, 87-80, behind Clintone Pico’s 25 points and 10 boards.
Arellano outran Batangas Mustangs, 96-85, with Johnray Ladica contributing 22 points, six rebounds, and two assists, and will now challenge University of San Jose-Recoletos, which edged Yes Mariveles, 78-77, on Fritz John Gonzales’ 21 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
