CHC slams defending champs, DOL wins

It was a blowout special in the 2004 Government Basketball League Wednesday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

In the first game, Commonwealth Health Center walloped a shorthanded Northern Marianas College-Proa team, 70-43.

Despite missing cornerstones Tony Diaz and Jester Garcia, however, the defending champions came out fighting and even managed to take a 15-12 lead against CHC after the end of the first quarter.

But CHC’s big men Joe Tudela and Tony Raho began to take advantage of their size inside the paint in the second and got away with 12 points between themselves, as the team took the driver’s seat and was ahead, 29-22, at the turn.

Then both teams went polar opposites in the third quarter. While CHC seemed to be drawing points from a bottomless well, NMC cagers hit the mother of all dry spells.

NMC scored two points in the quarter, courtesy of Ray Diaz, and that was it. CHC, meanwhile, rattled off 21 points—9 points from Ray Guerrero alone—as their lead ballooned to 50-24 with a quarter to go in the contest.

NMC’s offense woke up in the fourth and final quarter but the damage was already done and CHC were able to stroll to the 27-point win.

Guerrero and Tudela paced CHC’s dominating win with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Defensive specialist Jerry Diaz was forced to play some offense and topscored for NMC with 17 points. He was the only Proa to finish in double figures.

In the second game, Steve Rasa and Tim Wesley scored 21 points apiece as the Department of Labor ran all over Saipan Mayor’s Office 77-57.

DOL’s twin towers frolicked on the court from the get-go, as Rasa and Wesley pumped in 11 and 9 points, respectively, to give their team a 47-25 spread at the half.

Also helping playing-coach Tony Sablan’s cause was the play of Mitch Aaron and Beverly Igitol. Aaron logged in 9 points, while Igitol, a former Tanapag Warrior and stalwart of the CNMI National Women’s Team, got away with 7 points in the first half.

It was more of the same in the third and fourth quarters, as the Mayor’s Office could only offer little resistance with gunner Tony Luzama as their lone offensive option.

Aaron finished with 13, while Igitol went on to score 10 points in DOL’s runaway win. Luzama ended up with 18 points, while Marty Taisacan added 10 in the loss.

First Game

CHC 70 – Guerrero 18, Tudela 16, Seidler 8, Raho 8, Diaz 8, Kalen 6, Yarofalir 2, Rabauliman 2, Borja 2.

NMC 43 – J. Diaz 17, Palacios 8, Castro 7, R. Diaz 5, Jayson 4, MacDuff 2, Satur 2.

Scoring by quarters: 12-15, 29-22, 50-24, 70-43.

Referees: Jess Pacheco and Noel Delos Santos.

Second Game

DOL 77 – Rasa 21, Wesley 21, Aaron 13, Igitol 10, Sablan 3, Ayuyu 2, Tudela 2, Riberto 2, Tagabuel 1.

Saipan Mayor’s Office 57 – Luzama 18, Taisacan 10, Palacios 7, Demapan 6, Benavente 5, Cruz 5, Mizutani 4, Tupas 2.

Scoring by quarters: 22-10, 47-25, 63-46, 77-57.

Referees: Mike White and Dado Vistal.