Saipan Tribune

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

UCC vs Kiss My Pass in finals

Kiss My Pass and UCC will dispute the championship of the 2012 Kanoa Resort Women's Fall Basketball League tonight, following their separate semifinals wins at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

UCC advanced to the finals first after shutting out Ichiban in the third quarter of last Monday's curtain raiser en route to a 62-32 victory, while Kiss My Pass followed suit after thumping IDK Who, 55-38, in the nightcap. The UCC-Kiss My Pass winner-take-all finale will be played at 7pm after the battle for third place between Ichiban and IDK Who.

Four UCC players scored in double figures in their 30-point victory over Ichiban. Kyla Ito fired 19 points, Rachel Abrams and Kaylani Lebria added 14 each, and Madeleine Alegre contributed 10.

Czarina Lizama had 13 for Ichiban, which gave UCC quite a scare in the opening period before folding up in the last three quarters. Lizama led Ichiban's good start, nailing 10 of her total output in the first quarter to lift her team to an 18-10 advantage.

A sluggish UCC started the semis game sans Abrams and only Alegre and Lebria made more than one field goal for the top-ranked squad.

Abrams then arrived in the second quarter and contributed early, opening the period with back-to-back baskets, while Ito dropped 8 straight markers and finished with 10 to put UCC on top at halftime, 31-24.

After stunning UCC in the opening frame, Ichiban collapsed in the second canto with Lizama held to 2 points and Kimbery Ocampo posting the 4 other markers.

A shutout in the third period doomed Ichiban, while Abrams and Ito continued to lead UCC's offense, combining for 15 of their team's 19 points in that frame. By the end of the third, UCC was way ahead, 50-24, and the final buzzer was all it needed to formally book the first finals ticket.

Kiss My Pass clinched the second finals berth after capitalizing on a depleted IDK Who crew. Kiss My Pass had nine players suiting up in the semis and eight of them made it to the scoreboard, while only six players were available for IDK Who.

Despite its shorthanded roster, IDK Who managed to keep within striking distance of Kiss My Pass in the first period. Kiss My Pass led by only three after the first 10 minutes of play, 13-10. Jeralyn Castillo had 7 points for Kiss My Pass in the opening canto, while Negahr Rastguiy tallied 6 for IDK Who.

In the second canto, Kiss My Pass stepped on the pedal, while IDK Who ran out of offensive option with only Irish Pagarao making all of her team's 4 points in that period. Castillo outgunned the entire IDK Who Team, as she added 9 more points, giving Kiss My Pass a big 32-14 halftime advantage.

IDK Who failed to make a rally in the second half, as Pagarao's cry for help fell on deaf ears, while Kiss My Pass continued to draw contributions from its players.

Kiss My Pass' semis victory over IDK Who was sort of an upset, as the former was ranked third in the playoffs after completing the regular season with an even 3-3 mark. IDK was seeded second with its 4-2 card, missing the No. 1 ranking and an easier semis assignment (against winless Ichiban) after bowing to UCC in a double overtime game last Friday, 71-72.

First Game

UCC 62 - Ito 19, Abrams 14, Lebria 14, Alegre 10, Williams 5.

Ichiban 32 - Lizama 13. Pena 10, V. Bartolo 4, Ocampo 4, Gatchalian 1.

Scoring by quarters: 10-18, 32-24, 50-24, 62-32.

Second Game

Kiss My Pass 55 - Jeralyn Castillo 17, Lizardo 6, Jeraldine Castillo 6, Vargas 4, Ito 4m Mendoza 4, Pablo 2, Garon 2.

IDK Who 38 - Pagarao 15, Iriarte 9, Diaz 6, Rastguiy 6, Padilla 2.

Scoring by quarters: 13-10, 32-14, 42-27, 55-38.