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Magic 6 advances to Bud Cup playoffs
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Posted on Nov 17 2005
The Basketball Association of the Northern Mariana Islands disclosed yesterday that only the top six teams in the ongoing 2005 Budweiser Cup BANMI Men’s Island-wide Basketball League would advance to the playoffs.
BANMI vice president Elias Rangamar said that the six teams will battle for the coveted championship crown in a single-elimination format, with the two surviving teams engaging in a best-of-three championship series.
Five slots have already been secured with the sixth and final slot expected to be filled tonight.
Already assured appearances in the playoffs are two-time defending champion Bud Light-Toyota Tundra, Bud Ice-Hoopaholics/SaipanCell, MARPAC-Nissan Titans, Michelob-Master Construction/Torque, and the O’Douls-Ol’Aces.
Michelob had just defeated Bacardi-Golden Oldies Wednesday night and now sits with a 6-6 win-loss card, moving up to fourth place in the team standings.
The team, however, must win against second place Bud Ice-Hoopaholics tonight at 8:30pm and MARPAC-Nissan Titans on Monday to keep the spot as O’Doul’s-Ol’Aces trails by only half a game. The Ol’Aces (6-7) can secure fourth place with a win tonight; however, the team must get past Anheuser-8 3’s Construction to do so. Their bout is scheduled for 7pm.
Meanwhile, Anheuser (5-8) must win in order to advance to the playoffs. With a loss, the team will have identical records with Bacardi, who will get the slot because they defeated Anheuser twice during the regular season.
Toyota, which recently won the pennant crown with a 12-2 record, will open their defense against the No. 6 seed. Hoopaholics will battle the No. 5-ranked team while the Titans will play whoever finishes in fourth place.
Toyota will get an automatic slot in the finals if they win their first round bout while the winners of the other two first round games will battle for the final championship series ticket.
The regular season comes to an end after the Torque-Titans bout on Monday.
Rangamar said the playoffs would possibly kick off a week after.
BANMI made its decision for the single elimination as well as the six-team slot during its monthly meeting Wednesday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium conference room.
