Aqua Resort assumes solo lead

Aqua Resort Club streaked to its third straight win in the resumption of the 6th Mobil Oil Marianas Co-ed Invitational Basketball League Thursday evening at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

The hoteliers took on Commonwealth Ports Authority during the first game of the doubleheader and left the Oleai Sports Complex basketball venue with a 93-69 victory and solo leadership of the only adult co-ed cage competition on island.

Cage belle Chelsea Ruluked jumpstarted Aqua Resort’s blazing run by scoring 16 points in the opening quarter, as she played virtually unopposed with the CPA lady player unable to stay with her, which resulted in the hoteliers taking a 27-20 lead into the second quarter.

Even without their star lady player in the second, however, Aqua Resort still dominated play, getting all 28 points from the triumvirate of Dalewin Cortez, Eric Dalangin, and Darwin Barbo to open up a 55-39 advantage going into the halftime break.

Dalangin continued his stellar play in the third, teaming up with Ruluked to frustrate CPA’s attempts at mounting a rally. With the Mutt-and-Jeff combination combining for 17 points, Aqua Resort greeted the fourth and final quarter on top by the same number of points, 78-61.

It was pretty much garbage time as the payoff period got going with both Aqua Resort and CPA just going through the motions of completing the game. The latter, however, still managed to outscore the former in the final 10 minutes, 15-8, to leave with the 24-point victory.

Dalangin and Ruluked paced the hoteliers in scoring with 25 and 17 points, respectively, while Jerome Reyes and Jawn Joyner led the 0-3 CPA team with 23 and 17 points.

The second game, which pitted host Mobil against Hyatt Regency Saipan, nearly followed the script of the first game, as Mobil walloped the Garapan landmark 94-73.

After a 23-16 advantage in the first, the giant oil company ballooned its lead to 51-24 after the second. It was 72-41 after three full quarters of play and Mobil completed the rout with the 21-point win.

Errol Peredo led the victors wit 16 points, while Mike Umali was the highpoint man for Hyatt with also 16 points.

Both teams are going on separate directions in the win column with Mobil at 2-1 and Hyatt at 1-2.

The Mobil league takes a two-and-a-half month break starting next week with action resuming on July 6 after the staging of the 6th Micronesian Games.

First Game

Aqua Resort 93 – Dalangin 25, Ruluked 22, Cortez 17, Barbo 15, Alcantara 9, Domingo 4, Carasig 1.

CPA 69 – Reyes 23, Joyner 17, Sablan 12, Torres 9, Camacho 4, Mizutani 4.

Scoring by quarters: 27-20, 55-39, 78-61, 93-69.

Referees: Eric Artillaga and Gilbert Espinosa.

Second Game

Mobil 94 – Peredo 16, Aranda 13, Capalad 12, Igitol 11, Delos Reyes 10, Estolas 10, Villarin 6, Canlas 4, Ritual 3, Artates 2, Galzote 2, Catacutan 2.

Hyatt 73 – Umali 16, Vargas 15, Villanueva 13, Kaimato 8, Kim 6, Fukuda 5, Cruz 4, Tkel 3, Rodriguez 3.

Scoring by quarters: 23-16, 51-24, 72-41, 94-73.

Referees: Eric Artillaga and Gilbert Espinosa.