Saipan Tribune

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Friday, March 15, 2013

JWS in, Susupe out in DLX playoffs

JWS denied Susupe entry to the playoffs in Division B of the 2013 DLX/Anchor Strong Invitational Basketball League after posting a 79-69 win in their make-or-break game last Wednesday night at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.

JWS held Susupe to two field goals in the last 5:29 of the important match to gain the No. 6 spot in the 10-team field and the last playoff berth. JWS finished the round-robin elimination with a 4-5 record, as it lost to Maplas La Mani in a make-up game, 60-73, later on the same night.

Susupe bowed out of contention after a 3-6 record, joining the ICS Shooters (3-6), LD Prime (2-7), and Servitek (1-8) in the showers. JWS joined Maplas (6-3), Sexy Boys (6-3), and Gualo Rai (5-4) in the playoffs. JWS meets Maplas tonight at 6pm for the third semis slot, while the Sexy Boys collides with Gualo Rai tomorrow for the fourth and last Final Four berth. Adobo (9-0) and Chinatown (6-3), which defeated the Sexy Boys and Maplas in a tiebreak for second place, took the two outright semis seats.

JWS missed an automatic semis entry, but still made it to the next round with White Capalad, Cecilio Bisana, and Rodmar Diaz lifting their team to the crucial win. Capalad scored a game-high 34 points, including the back-to-back fastbreak layups that gave JWS cushion, 69-63, after Susupe tied the match for the last time at 63-all.

The lead increased to 9 after Diaz canned an undergoal stab and split his charities, 72-63, but two straight triples from J.R/ Cadag kept Susupe's hopes alive, 69-72, with still 2:08 left on the clock.

However, Susupe fell short, as it missed its next four attempts from downtown, while Diaz and Bisana secured JWS' victory, scoring 5 of their last 7 points. Bisana finished with 16 points, while Diaz added 10.

Julius Tabamo led Susupe's losing cause with his 23 markers, but was held to one field goal and 3 points in the payoff canto.

Meanwhile, Maplas picked up where it left off en route to the 13-point win over JWS.

Maplas led JWS, 54-48, when their March 4 match was rained-out, 9:33 left on the clock.

Ryan Odicta finished the job for Maplas, drilling 9 of his 17 markers in the remaining minutes of the make-up game, while Josephus Aguilar added 6 more to finish with a game-high 29 points. Mico Usi also scored in double figures for Maplas with his 18 markers.

First Game

JWS 79 - Capalad 34, Bisana 16, Diaz 10, Buenabajo 7, Daproza 4, Saplan 4, Alejandro 2.

Susupe 69 - Tabamo 23, Mina 16, Cadag 10, Lansang 6, Diyco 6, Banatasa 4, Buniag 2.

Scoring by quarters: 19-20, 44-40, 59-58, 79-69.

Make-Up Game

Maplas La Mani 73 - Aguilar 29, M. Usi 18, Odicta 17, Morales 4, Aniciete 3.

JWS 60 - Capalad 15, Bisana 14, Diaz 13, Canoy 8, Saplan 4, Buenabajo 4.

Scoring by quarters: 19-21, 27-39, 52-48, 73-60.