Saipan Tribune

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Thursday, November 01, 2012

Rabauliman brings home MVP trophy in Emon Lodge caging

Former CNMI National Team player Marvin Rabauliman showed consistency in the regular season and sparked Mobil's rally in the fourth quarter of their title game against Hi-Five to take the MVP trophy in the 2012 Emon Lodge 179 Basketball League-Docomo Brotherhood Cup.

Rabauliman averaged in double digits in the regular season to give Mobil a 7-1 record in the elimination round. Then in the playoffs, he scored at least 20 points in two games, including a 22-point output in their 83-64 championship victory over Hi-Five last Saturday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium to earn the MVP honors. He drilled 8 straight points in the fourth canto to anchor Mobil's breakaway midway in the final period.

The Mobil forward's steady game in the finals helped his team survive the absence of 2010 MVP Jun Estolas, who was barred from playing in the winner-take-all finale after getting a two-year suspension for throwing a punch on Ashley's/Brabu's Marlon De Dios in their semis game.

Rabauliman also made it to the Mythical Five, joining Pacific Islands Club's James Abuy and Brett Sutton, Servitek's Clayton Kenty, and Hi-Five's Dan Barcinas.

Abuy and Sutton helped PIC win the pennant, as the team finished on top of the nine-team field with its 7-1 record. PIC and Mobil had the same regular season records, but the former won the tiebreak, as it prevailed in their only meeting in the elimination. PIC's lone loss came at the hands of Hi-Five and the former bowed anew to the latter in the semis before winning the third place trophy against Ashley's. Abuy scored 31 points in the consolation game, while Sutton missed the match due to injury.

Barcinas and Hi-Five finished the regular season with a 5-3 slate to claim the No. 5 spot in the team standings. The former CNMI National Team member was the top scorer for Hi-Five and logged 24 markers in the title match, failing to lift his team to victory after slowing down in the second half of the finale.

Kenty was also the No. 1 gunner of Servitek, averaging close to 20 points per game, but his squad was at the bottom of the team standings and missed the playoffs after failing to win a single game in the regular season.