Mantas, Knights pull off victories

The Saipan Southern High School Manta Rays found their shooting touch yesterday, while the Mt. Carmel High School Knights were on fire Monday in the continuation of the MISA High School Basketball League at the MHS Gymnasium.

The SSHS girls won their second game in two days, the latest being a 56-50 victory over the MHS Lady Dolphins.

After a tight first quarter, the Mantas exploded behind the shooting of Henny Elayda, Joanna Omar, and Nicole Rios. All three scored all of the team’s 25 points for a commanding 33-17 lead at the break. Omar nailed two from downtown, while Elayda added another triple to highlight the Mantas’ run.

But the Dolphins weren’t going down easily as the duo of Jennifer Jang and Werlly Quitugua led a 14-9 run that cut their deficit to 11 points, 31-42.

Consecutive baskets by Emy Oiterong brought MHS to within five points, 37-42, with 7:19 remaining. But the Mantas would retaliate and widen the gap again behind their hustle in the paint.

The Rays dominated the boards throughout the entire match behind center Elsie Accad, who gave her team many second, third, and fourth opportunities. Elayda would swoosh another triple while Melissa Coleman punched in two field goals to put the Mantas back in the comfort zone.

The Dolphins would put up another charge with time winding down with Quitugua hitting a triple then following it up with a steal and a lay up, bringing the Mantas’ lead down to six points, 50-56, with 25.1 seconds left, but a turnover iced the win for the Mantas.

Elayda finished with 18 points, while Rios and Omar cashed in with 14 and 12 points for the Mantas.

Quitugua and Oiterong led the Lady Dolphins with 14 and 10 points, respectively.

A night earlier, the trio of Jeffrey Deleon Guerrero, Dan Barcinas, and Kovin Ogumoro led the run-and-gun Knights to a 90-77 victory over the Kagman High School Ayuyus.

The Knights held slim leads after the first two quarters, 15-12 and 34-33, before kicking it into higher gear. Barcinas knocked in 12 points, while Deleon Guerrero added eight as the Knights lit the scoreboards for 30 points to hold a 64-56 advantage with one period remaining.

Guard Mario Patrinus, who has been Kagman’s lethal scorer the entire season, tried to spark his team back in contention with 10 points in the dying minutes, but his effort was matched by Ogumoro, who helped the Knights put up five more points to put the outcome beyond doubt.

Deleon Guerrero had 27 points, while Barcinas and Ogumoro supported him with 16 points apiece for the Knights.

Patrinus finished with a game-high 29 points, while Allen Moses and Zack Diaz contributed 15 and 13 points for the Ayuyus.

Yesterday Girls

SSHS 56—Elayda 18, Rios 14, Omar 12, Coleman 6, Accad 4, Jacob 1.

MHS 50—Quitugua 14, Oiterong 10, J. Jang 9, Agbanlog 6, Iakopo 4, Bermudes 3, E. Jang 2.

Scoring by quarters: 8-9, 33-17, 42-31, 56-50.

Referees: Noel Delos Santos and Arnold Mesa.

Monday Boys

Mt. Carmel 90—Deleon Guerrero 27, D. Barcinas 16, Ogumoro 16, Kim 9, Tenorio 8, Naraja 5, V. Sablan 3, J. Sablan 2, Kintol 2, A. Barcinas 2.

KHS 77—Patrinus 29, Moses 15, Diaz 13, Leon Guerrero 8, Ada 6, Salas 4, C.J 2.

Scoring by quarters: 15-12, 34-33, 64-56, 90-77.

Referees: Ricky Itaas and Jess Pacheco.