For SPSAA crown Mt. Carmel trounce Calvary Christian

A tough and experienced Mt. Carmel team overwhelmed an upset-conscious but outgunned Calvary Christian Academy quintet to claim the basketball championship of the Saipan Private School Athletic Association in run away fashion, 69-23.

Mt. Carmel answered the opening tip with a combination of precision offense and strangling defense, which held Calvary to a low four point production in the first half of the title match.

Both teams played a razzle-dazzle type of ballgame, which saw members of each team play their hearts out, typical of boys their age.

“I am glad our boys got second place,” Calvary coach Scott Norman said. “But first place belongs to no one else but Mt. Carmel. They played great basketball and had an awesome year. My congratulations goes to Reggie Guerrero who did an outstanding job of coaching the Mt. Carmel varsity this year.”

The second place finish could already be considered an achievement for Calvary. The team had to topple highly-rated Northern Marianas Academy and Grace Christian Academy to reach the title match against Mt. Carmel.

In the battle for third, Grace Christian hacked out an exciting 39-36 win against Northern Marianas Academy. The game was a see-saw affair from start to finish, with neither team giving in. The outcome of the game was settled only in the final possession.

Both teams were tied at 36 with three ticks of the clock remaining in regulation. Grace Christian had the ball and called for time-out. And as everyone in the stands and the benches were expecting the game to go into overtime, Grace Christians’ Jerome Cataua let loose a prayer of a shot from rainbow territory that hit nothing but net.

In the girl’s junior varsity championship, Grace Christian Academy also came away with the championship as it routed Seventh Day Adventist to the tune of 30-7.

In the boy’s junior varsity final, Seventh Day Adventist held off a furious rally by Saipan Community School to claim the championship trophy, 55-41. SDA became complacent in the third quarter as they erected an 18 point lead. SCS, however, unleashed a barrage of points to come within eight points in the fourth quarter.

The Saipan Private School Athletic Association 2000-2001 basketball tournament was participated in by eight teams. They are Calvary Christian Academy, Grace Christian Academy, Eucon International, Mt. Carmel, Northern Marianas Academy, Saipan Community School, Saipan International School and Seventh Day Adventist.