Team Nesian Built, The Injured List rules 3X3 Pre-Series

Team Nesian Built topped the men’s division, while The Injured List ruled the women’s division of the Marianas Arsenal 3X3 Basketball Pre-Series from last Thursday to last Saturday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Nesian Built defeated JD Elite, 21-12, in the finals, while third place went to The Hoops with a forfeit by The Game.

Nesian Built consisted of Preston Basa, Douglas Schmidt, Jack Lizama, and Coby Santos. Schmidt stayed true to his moniker of “Spyder” as the ball stuck to him like flies in a spider’s web and made 15 of the teams’ points.

Basa assisted with his 6 points as their team held down JD Elite.

In the women’s division, The Injured List made up of Connie Camacho, Antonette Labausa, Lia Rangamar, and Irish Pagarao, won a close 19-15 finals matchup against M&M’s.

It was a rough-and-tumble game as free throws were made left and right from both teams. The Injured Lists’ Pagarao and Labausa led the team with their 6 points each, while all except 2 points were made from the free throw line by the M&M’s.

Third place went to U17.1 as they defeated Upsetting, 21-10.

As a precursor to the upcoming Marianas Arsenal 3X3 Basketball Series this month, tournament chair Joe Villacrusis said that the turnout was small, but “at least we got a good view of how the 3X3 tournament should be coordinated. For me too, this is my first time and we learned a lot of things.”

“This time around, we only did one court, but the plan is for the coming series, we’re going to use both courts,” he said. “But overall, I think everyone had fun and I think the women really put on a great show more than the men.”

So far, there are three men’s teams for the October tourney and no women’s team yet, but Villacrusis is hoping that the number will grow later.

He said they’re checking to tweak the requirements for the upcoming tourney and said that “we want to tell everyone that even if they don’t want to qualify to go to the Asia Cup, they can still participate and have fun.”

Marianas Arsenal 3X3 Basketball Pre-Series was organized by the Northern Mariana Islands Basketball Federation.