DOL continues to roll, Tinian bags first win

Tinian got over the hill, while the Department of Labor continues to play well in the 2006 Inter-Government Basketball League as both teams put up convincing wins Tuesday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Determined to snap their two-game losing skid, Tinian entered their bout against Department of Public Works with a mission and managed to take care of business with a lopsided 119-51 victory.

Tinian was hot from the start and took advantage of a cold push by DPW to grab the early comfortable lead, 23-6, after the first quarter, with Peter Manglona and Ringo Reyes fueling the charge with seven and six points.

Manglona was just getting started as he continued to wax hot from the field, adding another 10 points to his name. With Reyes in a zone of his own and finally showing their explosive offense that carried them to the playoffs the past years, Saipan’s southern neighbors headed into the break with a commanding 52-21 lead.

It continued to get better for Tinian as their run-and-gun style proved to be too much for their opponents. The team punched in another 29 points to their corner, while limiting DPW to just 10 points to increase their lead to a ridiculous 51 points, 81-31, with 10 minutes still remaining in the contest.

Still not satisfied, Tinian shook off their frustration from their first two games by running on all cylinders in the final period and swooshing the net for a combined 38 points. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Tinian was ahead by 68 points.

Manglona and Ton Borja led Tinian with 36 and 23 points, while Reyes finished with 14 points.

John Deleon Guerrero and Eric Atalig led DPW with 15 and 10 points, respectively.

Meanwhile, DOL won their third straight game courtesy of a second half burst that gave the team an 82-61 victory over Commonwealth Health Center.

CHC put up a strong fight in the opening half and was even ahead after the first quarter as Tom Diaz ignited a respectable attack with nine points and veteran Frank Iglecias pumped in six points, helping CHC take a 19-16 lead.

The DOL cagers weren’t rattled, though, and in a snap of a finger, turned the game around. Despite Diaz hitting another two triples, DOL managed to take the driver seat as they outscored their opponents, 18-14, for a 34-33 halftime lead.

The game did not stay close any longer as DOL continued to heat up while CHC began to struggle. Mitch Aaron knocked in nine points and DOL put the ball through the hoop for 26 points while holding CHC to just 12 points to turn their one-point lead into a 15-point cushion, 60-45.

It was cruise control from there as DOL kept their perfect record intact and left the venue on a high note again.

Steve Rasa led DOL with 26 points, while Diaz paced CHC with 21 points.

First Game
Tinian 119 – Manglona 36, T. Borja 23, Ri. Reyes 14, R. Reyes Manibusan 8, Cabay 6, L. Lizama 5, A. Lizama 5, Santos 4, Cruz 4, R. Borja 2.
DPW 51 – Deleon Guerrero 15, Atalig 10, Sablan 8, Mafnas 6, Torres 6, Cabrera 2, Babauta 2, Attao 2.
Scoring by quarters: 23-6, 52-21, 81-31, 119-51.
Referees: Jess Pacheco and Noel Delos Santos.

Second Game
DOL 82 – Rasa 26, Fujihira 17, Aaron 15, Peter 11, Wesley 8, Poquiz 3, Ayuyu 2.
CHC 61 – Diaz 21, Iglecias 9, Kalen 9, Raho 9, Griffin 7, Tudela 2, Kindipan 2, Fernandez 2.
Scoring by quarters: 16-19, 34-33, 60-45, 82-61.
Referees: Arnold Mesa and Gilbert Espinosa.