Labor upends Tinian

High surf and plenty of bruising plays from Steve Rasa and Tim Wesley finally did Tinian in, as Department of Labor moved on to the semis of the 2004 Government Basketball League with a 90-87 nipping of Saipan’s southern neighbor Wednesday evening at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

With only seven players able to make the crossing and suiting up for the game because of the rough weather, Tinian struggled early and often and went down by 11 points, 23-12, after the opening quarter.

Late acquisition George Poquiz sparked Labor’s early success, running rings around his defenders and scoring 10 of his 12 total points in the first quarter.

Burly center Keith Nabors and Mercury-quick guard Jarvin Evangelista tried to jumpstart Tinian’s fastbreak game in the second quarter, with relative success.

But Rasa would muscle his way for baskets inside the paint, restoring a 39-30 spread for Labor at the break.

Evangelista was a player possessed in the third quarter and almost single-handedly overhauled Labor’s hefty advantage.

The 5’8” cat-quick guard scattered 15 of his 25 total points in the canto, as Tinian sliced Labor’s lead to six points, 59-65, going into the fourth and final quarter.

Rasa continued to wax hot even in the face of the Tinian uprising, powering his way for nine more points, while playmaker Mitch Aaron came alive in the third by scoring six of his own.

Evangelista cooled off in the payoff period but in his stead came a more balanced attack from Tinian.

Labor countered the more spread-out and unpredictable Tinian offense by again dumping the ball down low and forcing the depleted Tinian team to react, which more often than not resulted in fouls.

Ultimately, Tinian paid the price for trying to stop Rasa and wily center Wesley in the post as, one by one, its key players started to foul out of the ballgame.

The duo of Rasa and Wesley was unstoppable in the final 10 minutes of the contest, scoring all but two of Labor’s points in the fourth quarter, as the team hung on to the three-point win.

Rasa bulldozed his way for 37 points in the win, while Wesley was equally productive and came away with 24. Evangelista punctured the hoops with 25 points, but fouled out in the fourth scoring just a point. Nabors finished with 20 and Frank Santos 13.

Tinian played minus sharphooter Anthony Borja and low-post threat Fritz San Nicolas. In addition to Evangelista, two more players fouled out at the endgame, leaving the squad with only four players on the floor.

The government league resumes tonight with the semifinal knockout match between Labor and Department of Public Safety I beginning at 6:30pm. The winner of tussle advances to the best-of-three championship against DPS II set to start tomorrow at 12pm.

DOL 90 – Rasa 37, Wesley 24, Poquiz 12, Ayuyu 7, Aaron 6, Sablan 2, Camacho 2.

Tinian 87 – Evangelista 25, Nabors 20, Santos 13, Manglona 9, Borja 8, Manibusan 7, Kiyoshi 5.

Scoring by quarters: 23-12, 39-30, 65-59, 90-87.

Referees: Jess Pacheco and Noel Delos Santos.