Saipan Tribune

Friday, May 24, 2013

Friday, November 02, 2012

Regular season sweep for MHS

Marianas High School's varsity and junior varsity teams secured perfect records in the 2012-2013 Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization Basketball League.

The Lady Dolphins clobbered Saipan Southern High School's Lady Manta Rays, 93-24, last Wednesday at the MHS Gymnasium to finish the regular season of the varsity division with a 6-0 record, while MHS signed off with its fourth victory in as many games after doubling up Southern in the junior varsity play, 52-26.

With Southern's loss in the varsity division, the Lady Rays ended up tied with the Mount Carmel School' Lady Knights and Kagman High School's Lady Ayuyus with their identical 2-4 records. In the junior varsity division, Southern settled for a second place with its 2-2 card, while winless KHS (0-4) rounded out the third and final spot.

With the regular season over, league organizers have set the playoffs on Nov. 16 and 17. If Tinian and/or Rota's representative teams appear in the playoffs, they will be automatically issued the third and fifth seeds on the bracket via a random drawing.

Playing in their last game in the regular season, the Lady Dolphins showed no mercy to the Lady Rays and immediately pulled away, 32-5.

Center Rachel Abrams and point guard Jeralyn Castillo made most of the damage for MHS in the first quarter, as they teamed up for 19 points in the early surge. Vanessa Bartolo netted all of Southern's five markers in the opening period.

The Lady Dolphins eased up a little in the second quarter, but still extended the gap to 32, at halftime, 44-12, as its do-it-all shooting guard Jeraldine Castillo and Marlene Lumabi combined for 12 in that period. Czarina Lizama scrambled for a handful of checks for Southern.

After setting the tone in the first half, MHS coasted through the third quarter, as it tripled up its opponents, 58-17, off Abrams and Jeralyn Castillo' jumpers.

Then instead of putting the game on ice in the fourth, the Lady Dolphins employed a full court press to completely demoralize the Lady Rays. Southern struggled just to get the ball to its side of the court and as the final minutes approached MHS could not help but notice that it almost hit the century mark so it shifted to full steam ahead to the buzzer.

Abrams and Jeralyn Castillo tallied 22 and 20 points respectively, way ahead of the 20 markers of Bartolo and Lizama.

Meanwhile, the junior varsity pairing was knotted in the first period, 6-6, before MHS awoke in the second quarter and postured a 22-12 favor at intermission. Dianne Pablo bunched together three baskets late in the second period, while six others contributed for MHS in the first half.

The Lady Dolphins then hit their stride after the break and imposed a daunting 40-18 margin heading into the final period. Notably, Southern's Ayana Ongelungel was factored out in the game so to speak, as he was held to 8 in the first two frames.

Patricia Echavez lit the wick for MHS with a three-pointer at the start of the third quarter and Pablo added 8 more markers to keep the charge.

Pablo led MHS' runaway victory with 16 points, while Ongelungel still managed a game-high 18 under duress.

JUNIOR VARSITY

MHS 52 - Pablo 16, Pena 9, Lopez 8, Abantao 4, Farro 4, Echavez 3, Abadilla 2, Caracut 2, Race 2, Santiago 2.

SSHS 26 - Ongelungel 18, Achas 6, Rogoyama 2.

Scoring by quarters: 6-6, 22-12, 40-18, 52-26.

VARSITY

MHS 93 - Abrams 22, Jeralyn Castillo 20, Williams 12, Jeraldine Castillo 11, Lizardo 9, Lumabi 9, Ada 4, Francisco 2, Guevarra 2, Olivos 2.

SSHS - Bartolo 13, Lizama 7, Bulawan 2, Indalencio 2.

Scoring by quarters: 32-5, 44-12, 58-17, 93-24.