Wingmen dominate Inter-Gov’t league

Cagers playing the two and three positions dominated scoring in the elimination round of the inaugural Inter-Governmental League, which will have its championship game at the end of the week.

Ed Diaz, the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs’ 5’11” guard-forward, led the tournament in scoring with an average of 25.6 points per game.

Closely following the hot-shooting Diaz in the scoring race was Department of Public Safety sentinel Elias Saralu. The 5’9″ guard scorched the hoops with a 25.28 points per game average in seven games this season.

Division of Land Registration Survey 5’11” forward Steve Rasa was third in scoring for the tournament with a 24.1 points per game clip.

In rebounding, it was the turn of cagers standing over six feet to upstage their smaller but deadlier-shooting counterparts. Department of Public Safety-Fire’s 6’4″ center Jack Tudela emerged as rebounding king in the tournament with an average of 15.33 rebounds per game.

Department of Environmental Quality’s Jay Morisheta was second in board work with the 6’1″ undersized pivotman snaring 15 rebounds per game. Rounding out the caroms honors was Mark Rozic of the Public School System. The 6’1″ small forward averaged 14.66 rebounds a game.

Derrick Reyes of the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation ended up as the top assistman of the tourney. The 5’11” cat-quick guard-forward handed out a total of 25 feeds in six games for an average of 4.16 assists per outing.

Dennis Camacho of the Commonwealth Health Center was a far second in assists, with the 5’6″ guard finishing the tournament with an average of 3.71 feeds per game.

Curiously, the player Camacho always passed to ended up third in assists for the tournament. CHC pivotman Richard Brostrum averaged 3.66 hand-outs per game.

The tournament’s “Sultan of Swipe” turned out to be DCCA’s swingman Edward Diaz. The 5’11 cager finished with an amazing 5.60 steals a game average. He was followed by his teammate John Reyes with the 5’4″ point guard averaging 4.83 heists per game.

Commonwealth Ports Authority’s Jerome Reyes was the third best thief of the tournament with an average of 4.33 steals per game.

It is also important to note that CHC’s Brostrum was in the top 10 in points, assists and steals and ranked 11th in rebounds during the whole tournament. The 6’5′ gangling center finished seventh in points with a 21.1 points per game average. He also handed out 3.66 assists per game, which placed him third in the category and stole 2.5 times in six games, good for 10th in the steals department. Brostrum also grabbed 10.16 rebounds per game.

Players individual statistics would weigh heavily in deciding the first Inter-Government League’s Most Valuable Player. However, jurors selecting the plum would also be considering how individual performance of players contributed to his team’s winning.

The semifinals for the Inter-Government League is heating with the top four teams slugging it out to earn a spot in the finals on Friday. As of press time, DCCA is battling CHC in the first game and DPS is set to lock horns with DLRS in the second game. The winners will vie for the championship on April 6.