SSHS JV, MHS Yellow win close games

Saipan Southern High School JV and Marianas High School Yellow won close games in the 2023-2024 IT&E Interscholastic Boys High School Basketball League last Wednesday night at the MHS Gymnasium.

SSHS JV defeated Mount Carmel School JV, 23-22, in the last game of the afternoon. The Knights drew first blood off a free throw by Enzo Sasamoto, but the Manta Rays pushed on until they took control of the game, 13-5.

It was a hefty cushion to work with and the Manta Rays took the upper hand all the way to the second half, where Darnell Lizama and the rest of the crew continued to put in the work. It wasn’t an easy second half though with the Knights pushing in and finally making their shots.

The Knights managed to halt the Manta Rays’ offense and went on to score from 13 points in the first half to 22 points after the game. The game could’ve gone any way but the Manta Rays’ Marino Santos and Danny Defang clinched the win by making their free throws.

Lizama found the basket the most with 7 points, while Defang assisted with 4 points. The Knights’ Arturo Travilla scored 6 points and Brandon Tesiro scored 4, while the rest scored 3 points each.

In the first game of the day, MHS Yellow also slipped past sister team MHS Blue, 28-27.

It was a battle of Dolphins as both teams wanted to make a bigger splash than the other, but the Yellow team pulled out all the stops and maneuvered their way to victory by one point.

Carl Sanchez led the Yellow team through stop signs put up by the Blue team and collected 12 points. Meanwhile, the Blue team’s Stephen Diyco and Hilario Palino split and came up with 6 points each.

Although Sanchez scored the most, teammate Rouvick Quizon had 4 markers and Jerik Javier shot 3 points.

In last Monday’s games, Kagman High School JV won over MCS JV, 31-21, and MHS Blue defeated SSHS JV, 29-19.

SSHS JV 23 – Lizama 7, D. Defang 4, Santos 3, T. Cruz 2, Gutierrez 2, Lucero 2, Paul 2, C. Cruz 1.

MCS JV 22 – Travilla 6, Tesiro 4, Sasamoto 3, Propst 3, Tomokane 3, Palacios 3.

Scoring by halves: 18-13, 23-22.

MHS Yellow 28 – Sanchez 12, Quizon 4, Javier 3, Capalad 2, Cultura 2, Tabhan 2, Sangalang 2, Paraiso 1.

MHS Blue 27 – Diyco 6, Palino 6, Basa 5, Rangamar 4, Caponpon 2, Montano 2, Rectitud 2.

Scoring by halves: 15-13, 28-27.