Undefeated Team Marianas takes Mich Cup title

Undefeated Team Marianas took home the 2024 Michelob Ultra Cup championship after they defeated New Chang Ming, 102-71, in the finals last Saturday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Team Marianas already had a deafening lead, 32-7, at the end of the first quarter and it only solidified from there.

First quarter’s juggernauts of Preston Basa, Marvin Rabauliman, and Coby Santos set the tone for the rest of the game as they provided cover from all sides of the court. Before the second quarter, Basa had two threes, while Rabauliman scored 6 points and Santos contributed a 3-pointer.

The second quarter saw heavy physical exchanges as New Chang Ming battled their way to stop Team Marianas’ onslaught. As a result, multiple free throws allowed Team Marianas to tack on more points also from the charity line.

New Chang Ming went full force after the halftime break, but as they played the NMI men’s national team, they were in for a beating. That didn’t stop New Chang Ming from playing their hearts out and finally getting some shots in the third quarter.

Although Team Marianas’ lead towered between 20 to 30 points, New Chang Ming managed to find an opening from fastbreak plays.

Despite the effort, Team Marianas drowned New Chang Ming and secured the championship with a huge 31-point winning margin.

Basa led Team Marianas with 17 points, while Santos was right behind at 15 markers, and Rabauliman contributed 12.

New Chang Ming’s Rodel Pastrana had a game-high 20 points, as Christian David scored 11, and Jonel Broncano put up 8.

The MVP award went to Team Marianas Douglas “Spider” Schmidt, who scored 11 points in the finals.

Team Marianas head coach Rufino Aguon said after the awards ceremony that the team’s performance was “pretty good.”

He said, “I believe we played the best of the best on the island so it’s good training for us… the team has improved a lot since we first started and the way they played tonight showcased what they’ve been going through for the past couple months.”

Team Marianas is heading out to compete in the 2024 Micronesian Games in Majuro, Marshall Islands from June 15-24. With less than a month left, Aguon said he had hoped there were more tournaments to get the team ready to compete.

But with that, he said that he was glad they played against New Chang Ming in the finals. He said they were a “very physical team” and that was what they needed. “They did get into some of these guys’ heads, so I had to come in and say, ‘hey it’s all part of the game. Let the referees do their job.’ That’s why there was a little bit of a stall in the score for a little bit, but it’s all part of their learning.”

Northern Marianas Basketball Federation vice president David John Apatang, in his remarks during the awards ceremony, said, “Team Marianas is a very strong team. What we’re trying to do is prepare them for our international competitions. I want to thank New Chang Ming especially—they’re a very, very good team. Congratulations to you guys. You guys took on the best team on the island. So don’t forget that.”

To the young and new players, he said, “You need to set a higher standard so we can play more organized basketball and we can compete internationally. That is our goal. So, as you are practicing, remember, Saipan is not the goal—international is our goal. You guys are our future and you guys have good role models such as New Chang Ming and Team Marianas.”

NMIBF also awarded 2024 Pokka Cup champion—670 Rollers—with their championship trophy and individual trophies. The MVP award went to Michael Mercado Jr.

Team Marianas 102 – Basa 17, Santos 15, Rabauliman 12, Dela Cruz 12, Schmidt 11, Airson Atan 10, Aldan 8, Ogumoro 7, Lizama 4, Ong 4, Sablan 2.

New Chang Ming 71 – Pastrana 20, David 11, Broncano 8, Ferrer 7, Bernardo 5, De Dios 4, Foronda 4, Baking 4, Camacho 4, De Vero 2, Esdrelon 1, Diwa 1.

Scoring by quarters: 32-7, 50-28, 80-49, 102-71.