Kontenders regain form, nip Saints

The Kontenders ended their slide, pulling off a 63-60 victory against the Chalan Kanoa Saints in the 2008 Saipan Rotary Club Youth Basketball League Monday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

The Kontenders won their first two games in the 18-and-under caging, but lost the next four before regaining their form against the Suns.

Soane Pua, Eugene Dillay, and Jester Kaipat drilled crucial baskets in the second half to lift the Kontenders to a three-point win.

Dillay was scoreless in the first half, but fired all his 12 points in the second to end the Kontenders’ losing streak. At one point midway in the second half, Dillay scored eight straight markers.

Pua picked up where Dillay left off in the closing minutes of the second half, nailing eight straight markers, including a rare four-point play.

Pua had eight of the Kontenders’ last 12 points in the second half.

Kaipat made the last four points on back-to-back baskets to preserve the Kontenders victory.

The game against the Kontenders was the Saints’ seventh. They dropped to a 2-5 record and will face the Rollers I in their last match on Oct. 16.

The Saints-Kontenders tiff ended in a deadlock at halftime, 29-all.

Zack Tudela kept the Suns afloat in the first half, exploding for 15 points, including the team’s last 10 markers in that period.

Tudela continued to hit his mark in the second half, but he was no match against the combined efforts of Pua, Dillay, and Kaipat.

Tudela finished with a game-high 29 points. Luizi Reyes chipped in 12.

Besides Tudela and Reyes, the Saints drew contributions from only three other players.

The Kontenders had 10 players making it into the scoreboard.

The Rotary league is hoping to wrap up the regular season next week to start the single-elimination playoffs later this month.

The playoffs cast is already complete with only eight teams gaining slots to the next round. Both the Suns and Kontenders are assured of slots in the playoffs. Joining them in the next round are the CNMI Junior Nationals, Sixers, Sonics, Rollers I, Suns, and the G-Stars.

Only the pennant champion has yet to be decided and it’s a toss up between the Junior Nationals and the Sixers, who are both unbeaten in the regular season.

The Sixers and the defending champion Junior Nationals will collide for the pennant on Oct. 15.

Kontenders 63 – E. Dillay 12, Pua 11, Kaipat 10, Ogumoro 8, Ngirachongor 6, Pomee 5, D. Dilay 4, Charley 3, Dowei 2, Laniyo 2.

Saints 60 – Tudela 29, Reyes 12, Iglecias 9, Masga 5, Tenorio 3.

Scoring by halves: 29-all, 63-60.