Saipan Tribune

Monday, May 20, 2013

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Susupe barges into win column

Susupe snapped its three-game losing skid in Division B of the DLX/Anchor Strong Invitational Basketball League after outclassing the ICS Shooters, 68-61, in the lone match played last Friday night at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.

A third-quarter assault allowed Susupe to gain more ground against the ICS Shooters (1-3) and the former sealed the win in the fourth from the foul line.

With the game tied at 30-all at halftime, Susupe outgunned the ICS Shooters in the third period, 24-13, to open a double-digit lead entering the fourth canto, 54-43. Chris Lansang and Nat “Toto” Banatasa teamed up in the third-quarter attack with the former making two triples and scoring 9 points and the latter drilling Susupe's last 6 points in that period after being held to one field goal in the first half.

Down by 11, the ICS Shooters failed to recover in the payoff period, as it just traded baskets with Susupe in the fourth and only Lawrence Espinosa canned more than two field goals in the final canto.

Susupe also slowed down on offense in the fourth, but still saved the win after building enough cushion in the third and making four free throws in the homestretch. Lansang knocked in a pair of charities, while Buniag and J.R. Mina made one charity each.

Lansang went on to pace Susupe with his 25 points, while Banatasa and J.R. Cadag finished in twin digits too, with 10 markers apiece.

The ICS Shooters lead on the 20 markers of Guntar, who was the lone double figure scorer on the team.

DIVISION A

Pacific Stars 81, Docomo 74

Meanwhile, after more than two weeks of break, action in Division A resumed last Saturday and scoring machine Jun Estolas showed no signs of rust despite the long lull.

Estolas sizzled for 38 big points to lift Pacific Stars/Gualo Rai to the 7-point win over Docomo. Pacific Stars gained its second straight win after a 0-3 start in Division A, which halted its games to give way to another league, while Docomo fell to a 2-3 slate.

The Pacific Stars' guard was on target all night, hitting 6 triples and making shots from almost all angles. His three treys and 13 markers in the third canto helped Pacific Stars turn a slim 30-29 halftime lead to a 58-48 advantage, going into the final frame.

Then in the fourth, Estolas added 7 more points and drew support from Dexter Tenorio and Zack Babauta in foiling Docomo's repeated comeback bids. Tenorio dropped 6 of his 10 markers in the fourth, while Babauta nailed back-to-back triples.

Tenorio, Babauta, and Estolas' baskets offset the 18 points Darwin Barbo scored for Docomo in the fourth quarter alone. Barbo went on to finish with 32 markers, as he almost single-handedly carried Docomo's fight in the second half and faltered in the end.

FRIDAY

Susupe 68 - Lansang 25, Banatasa 10, Cadag 10, Miguel 6, Llagas 6, Mina 5, Diyco 4, Buniag 1.

ICS Shooters 61 - Guntar 20, Tala 9, Espinosa 7, Mallari 6, David 5, Enriquez 4, Corotan 3.

Scoring by quarters: 14-16, 30-30, 54-43, 68-61.

SATURDAY

Pacific Stars/Gualo Rai 81 - Estolas 38, Diaz 12, Babauta 12, Tenorio 10, Lauron 4, Galzote 2.

Docomo Pacific 74 - Barbo 32, Mangali 16, Sablan 8, Sison 6, Tudela 4.

Scoring by quarters: 15-14, 30-39, 58-48, 81-74.