SSHS edges MHS by 1 in girls hoops finals

The Saipan Southern High School Lady Manta Rays has a flair for the dramatic as they upset reigning champs Marianas High School Lady Dolphins by just a point, 28-27, in a thrilling double-elimination finals of the 2023-2024 IT&E Interscholastic Girls High School Basketball League last Saturday morning at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

The Lady Manta Rays grasped at the upper hand in the winners’ bracket after they tore down the only regular season undefeated team in the semis of the championship round by defeating the Lady Dolphins by also just a point, 31-30.

In the morning, MHS actually first came bounding down the court to victory in the first game, 27-21, and forced the deciding game in the afternoon. But, after a 30-minute break, SSHS gathered their wits and executed a gameplan that led to their first championship and broke the four-year championship streak of the Lady Dolphins.

MHS, led by Destiny Pangelinan, put up a back-and-forth struggle in the second half despite trailing big time in the first. SSHS’ lead was cut down to just one point as each time they scored, MHS would answer and a tug of war with the points ensued until the final seconds.

However, just like their semis match, the Lady Mantas held on to their 1-point lead with their well-played defense and pressure that caused inaccurate, fast-break Hail Mary’s by MHS that amounted to nothing.

SSHS coach Mike Mercado said after the finals, “I always said that girls are always smarter to coach. Everything I said, everything we practiced, they executed perfectly and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

After their first game loss, Mercado told the team, “Shift your energy to positivity—I don’t want to hear any negative language and that’s what the girls did, they followed. Like I said, girls are smarter to coach. They will execute.”

As for the defending champion MHS team, Mercado said that Destiny Pangelinan, the team’s captain, is “a very amazing player. I’m always a fan. She’s awesome. But, if you have a game plan, then you stick to it, anything’s possible in basketball.”

Mercado thanked the Prospects team because they scrimmage with them, SSHS, MHS, Northern Mariana Islands Basketball Federation, and the Interscholastic Sports Program. “Since I’m not with PSS anymore, I hope this is not my last gig and I hope they give me an opportunity to defend this title,” he said. He then added, “I’m a champion because I’m a Manta Ray.”

The team’s seniors who were blessed with a championship before they graduate were team captain Yasmeen Younis, Casey Cruz, Angel Calage, and Lency Sagarino.

Younis led her team to the first championship that she said she’s been wanting to get since her freshman year, but MHS won it the past four years in a row.

Now that they’ve won it, Younis said, “It feels so good knowing that I helped teach all these new girls and that we built a really strong bond together and that we were able to take it home.”

As for losing the first game of the championship round when she injured herself, she said, “There [were] a lot of negative thoughts but my coach, Mr. Mercado really helped me get through it and pushed me through—taught that it’s mind over matter and helped my team win.”

She said despite spraining her ankle in the first game, she pushed through as she was the team captain and showed up for her team in the deciding game and helped lead them to victory.

SSHS 28 – Younis 12, Saralu 10, Ramon 4.

MHS 27 – Pangelinan 16, Dela Rosa 7, Lin 3, George 1.

Scoring by halves: 12-4, 28-27.

Saipan Southern High School girls high basketball team takes a selfie with their coach Mike Mercado, second from left, after their championship match against Marianas High School last Saturday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.