CNMI cagebelles settle for silver

The CNMI girls U15 team returned to Saipan yesterday morning and brought home a silver medal from the 2011 U15 Micronesian Basketball Tournament.

The Commonwealth cagebelles played against Guam in the finals last Friday at the Palau National Stadium in Koror and lost the championship match, 41-93.

The Connie Camacho-coached squad kept pace with Guam in the first quarter, but things began falling apart for the CNMI bets in the second canto. Guam led by only seven after 10 minutes of play, 24-17, before the eventual champion held the CNMI to six points in the second frame for a big 49-23 advantage.

Guam never looked back from thereon to win the girls championship.

Later in the men’s championship match, Guam completed a sweep of the MBT after downing Palau, 89-78. In the battle for third place, the CNMI bowed to Guahan (Guam’s second team), 49-63. Palau took the bronze in the girls division after topping sister team Belau in the consolation game, 56-19.

After the awarding of medals to the Top 3 finishers in each division, host Palau Basketball Federation also selected the All-Star Five in the girls and boys categories.

Christian Mizer, who scored 16 points in the third place game against Guahan and had his best offensive performance against Palau after exploding for 22 points in their 53-74 loss to the host, was included in the All-Star Selection. Joining him are Palau’s Marvic Ngchar, Guahan’s Dialo Cruz, Guam’s Jeddou Antonio, and Belau’s Medermel Yaoch.

In the girls division, the CNMI’s Rachel Abrams made the elite list, which also includes Palau’s Sarabeth Ksano and Diliaur Kumaichi, Guam’s Kali Benavente, and Belau’s Trinity Misech. Abrams scored in double figures in the CNMI’s last three games, including a 27-point production in their 76-18 rout of Belau.

Abrams was one of the only nine female players the CNMI sent to Palau to compete in the youth caging. Others on the list were Jeraldine Castillo, Kaylani Lebria, Denise Samson, Kyla Ito, Kriz Gozon, Melody Johnson, Carey Demapan, and Theodora Falcon.

The CNMI had an even leaner boys U15 squad, as coach Ed Manalili had only seven players in Mizer, Jaymie Sanarez, Ankie Manalili, Josephus Aguilar, Jacob Palacios, Christopher Cepeda, and Kobee Mendoza.