PSS, DPS improve records in govt caging

The Public School System and the Department of Public Safety Enforcers improved their records in the ongoing 2006 Inter-Government Basketball League Wednesday night, scoring victories at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

In the opener, the PSS cagers picked up their seventh win in nine games and did it in style with an easy 100-64 victory over Office of Public Auditor.

The game was pretty much in PSS’ control from the opening tip off as Taj Van Buren and Gary Lashley fueled a balanced attack that featured PSS lighting up the scoreboard for 21 points and limiting OPA to just 10 points for the early lead.

PSS continued to stroll as Lawrence Buniag buried consecutive triples to start the second period, Van Buren connected twice from downtown, and John Jimeno added another triple as the educators outscored their opponents to stretch their lead to 25 points, 52-27.

It was an easy road to the finish as PSS received little resistance to close strong.

Van Buren and Buniag led PSS with 22 and 16 points, while Lashley and Nick Gross added 15 and 10 points.

Robert Torres and Chris Camacho led OPA with 14 and 13 points, while Juan Camacho and Ton Dela Cruz contributed 12 and 11 points.

Later in the evening, the Enforcers rallied from an early deficit then held off a furious charge by the Northern Marianas College Proa to win, 102-97.

NMC was able to grab the upper hand with a 27-21 run in the first quarter, but DPS came back stronger in the second quarter and held NMC to just 10 points, while going berserk for 30 points for a 51-37 halftime lead.

DPS was able to hold on to its lead in a neck-and-neck third quarter, and had just enough juice to stay ahead in the fourth for the win, as NMC connected for seven triples in the last 10 minutes to put on a scare.

Saralu and Pelisamen led DPS with 27 and 24 points, while Joe Ito and Peter Camacho had 19 and 13 points. Oscar Sablan also had 12 points.

Jester Garcia paced NMC with 25 points, while Oscar Masga and Rufino Aguon pumped in 16 and 15 points. The team also got 14 points from Tony Diaz.

First Game
PSS 100 – Van Buren 22, Buniag 16, Lashley 15, Gross 10, S. Villagomez 9, Jimeno 9, Mendez 7, Mendiola 6, J. Villagomez 6.
OPA 64 – Torres 14, C. Camacho 13, J. Camacho, Dela Cruz 11, D. Camacho 6, Pangelinan 6, Sasamoto 2.
Scoring by quarters: 23-10, 52-27, 83-40, 100-64.
Referees: Arnold Mesa and Gilbert Espinosa.

Second Game
DPS 102 – Saralu 27, Pelisamen 24, Ito 19, Camacho 13, Sablan 12, Taitano 7.
NMC 97 – Garcia 25, Masga 16, Aguon 15, Diaz 14, John 8, Castro 7, Roberto 4, Ierome 2, Manglona 2, Aldan 2, MacDuff 2.
Scoring by quarters: 21-27, 51-37, 75-62, 102-97.
Referees: Jess Pabula and Mike White.