Eagles, Knights head to overtime

The championship match in the 2006 Private School Basketball League between junior varsity teams Grace Christian Academy Eagles and Mt. Carmel Knights took too long to finish that darkness descended at the Calvary Christian Academy Basketball Court before the final score was settled.

Thus, when regulation ended in a 49-all tie and with the surroundings already pitch dark, PSBL commissioner Scott Norman had no recourse but to postpone the five-minute overtime beginning at 4pm today at the same venue.

Both teams battled not only each other but also darkness in the last couple of minutes of regulation.

Mt. Carmel seemed all but ready to take home the title, as slotman Joseph Jung appeared to have hit the marginal basket to make it 49-47 in favor of the Knights with under a minute to go.

But the heavens smiled on the Eagles in their next play, as forward Jimmy Phan found the bottom of the net on a flip from 14 feet to tie the game at 49-all, with time down to only five precious seconds.

Mt. Carmel could only put up a half descent shot in regulation’s final play, as Sean Sablan hurried a layup from 12 feet out that hit the backboard.

After the bullhorn rang signifying the end of regulation, Norman called both teams—coaches, players, and parents—on center court to tell them that it’s just too dark and too late in the evening to continue playing.

That’s when it was decided by both camps to continue the half-quarter of extension play today at Calvary Christian Academy Basketball Court.

It was a gripping and tension-filled game to say the least. At one point before the end of the first half, a student from Mt. Carmel berated and shouted invectives on volunteer referee Ed Johnson, and rightfully so was escorted out of the venue.

The Knights took control of the ballgame early and with front court players Jung and Ted Kim tossing four points apiece, the team took a 15-9 spread after the first quarter.

But led by shifty forward Kevin De Leon, GCA would awaken in the second and outscore Mt. Carmel, 17-9, to enter the halftime break with a 26-24 lead. De Leon sparkled in the canto, firing a dozen points to lead the Eagles’ rally.

The seesaw ballgame continued in the third quarter with both teams knocking in eight points apiece that led to GCA maintaining its two-point spread, 34-32.

The game appeared headed to a classic finish before the players’ inability to see the court, teammates, and the rim resulted in countless turnovers and badly missed shots.

It was to the Eagles’ and Knights’ credit that they scored at all in the game’s final three minutes with the condition of the venue.

In the consolation game played prior to the championship match, Marianas Baptist Academy routed Saipan International School, 48-30.

MBA 48 – Jo 23, Heo 15, Norman 4, Yoon 4, Park 3.

SIS 30 – Brostrom 10, Ken 8, Asano 8, Graf 2, Taitano 2.

Scoring by quarters: 9-6, 25-17, 38-20, 48-30.