All about basketball, Dingleberries, Camacho

The 2nd DFS-Northern Youth Basketball Association Invitational came to a close, the 2006 Inter-Hotel Basketball League HANMI Cup kicked off, the 2006 MDX Good Sportsmanship Basketball League Coca-Cola Cup playoffs hit a high note, CNMI pride Frank “The Crank” Camacho left for the biggest fight of his young career, and the Dingleberries reigned supreme at the Pacific Islands Club.

While many events occurred over the past days, these were the headlines of the booming week in the local sports scene.
The MDX playoffs was explosive as the four teams that advanced to the playoffs battled for the right to enter the finals. Defending champion Samahang Ilokano at Pangasinense earned the first finals slot after beating MOVER, 88-72, and RHT via forfeit. MOVER, meanwhile, moved into the finals after beating Budweiser, 85-76, on Wednesday.

The finals will be held today at 6pm. Budweiser and RHT will play for third place at 4pm.

The Dingleberries defeated Pullulun Part II in straight sets to claim the championship of the 8th Annual Miller Lite Co-ed Four-Person Beach Volleyball League. Taula Peter’s squad took the first set, 11-9, and followed up with an 11-6 clincher.

Robert Talavera also had a good week by winning the Pepsi November King of the Lanes title, while Emi Williams was Queen and Tony Cruz Prince at the Saipan Bowling Center.

For his part, Camacho left with trainer Cuki Alvarez to the Philippines for a title fight against Fritz Rodriguez of Gracie Barra Philippines in Universal Reality Combat Championship IV: Unstoppable. The winner of the fight, which was scheduled for last night, will be the URCC light-heavyweight champion.

The NYBA competition was a big success in the eyes of its organizers, as well as supporters as 26 teams from Saipan, Guam, Tinian, and Rota battled in three age groups at two gyms—Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium and Marianas High School Gymnasium. In the end, the Garapan Rollers took home the Division I title, the San Antonio Sixers won the boys’ Division II championship, the G-Rollers topped the Division II girls competition, the Agat Lakers earned the title in the Division III girls competition, and 670 reigned in the Division III boys contest.

While the NYBA Invitational came to a two Saturday’s ago, another basketball event kicked off as the HANMI Cup opened last Sunday with nine teams vying for supremacy. Among the teams are Aqua Resort Club, Fiesta Resort and Spa, Hyatt Regency Saipan, Marianas Resort and Spa, Nikko Hotel, Hafadai Hotel, Saipan World Resort, Saipan Grand Hotel, and Pacific Islands Club, and all were in for a treat as organizers put on a show in the opening ceremony held at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Aqua Resort, Fiesta Resort and Spa, and Hyatt Regency Saipan posted solid debuts with victories, while Nikko Hotel bounced back from an opening day loss with a win over Saipan World Resort on Thursday.

The Saipan Swim Club also promoted five swimmers—Junior Pamaran, Michael Moran, Lester Lapuz, and Ayana Kawahara—from its developmental program to the SSC Blue Team.