Sweep for CNMI Jr. Nationals

The CNMI Junior Nationals swept the regular season of the 2008 Saipan Rotary Club Youth Basketball League after whipping the G-Stars, 64-48, Friday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

The Junior Nationals finished the single-round robin regular season with an 8-0 record, while the G-Stars carded a 4-4 slate, losing their last two games.

The Rotary pennant champion defeated the G-Stars sans its two main gunner—Marvin Rabauliman and Jericho Cruz. Rabauliman was serving a two-game suspension, which ended Friday, while Cruz was nursing a minor injury.

The backcourt tandem of Joseph White and Jose Castro carried the load for the Junior Nationals in absence of Rabauliman and Cruz.

The White-Castro pair combined for more than half of the Junior Nationals’ output with the former firing 21 points and the latter adding 20.

Nate Mateo paced the G-Stars with 21 markers. He scored his team’s first four points and added eight more in the first half, as the G-Stars kept the Junior Nationals within striking distance, trailing by only one at halftime, 26-27.

But the Junior Nationals began pulling away in the second half with Castro and White using their speed to elude the G-Stars defenders and cruise to several easy layups.

The duo scored the Junior Nationals’ first 10 points and went on to combine for 15 more points in the halfway mark of the second half to give their team an easy win.

Allen Moses also stepped up in absence of Rabauliman and Cruz, chipping in 13 markers.

The CNMI Junior Nationals played with only five players against the G-Stars’ complete crew, but still managed to win, as the latter failed to get support from its bench.

Mateo was the lone double-figure scorer for the G-Stars, and the next best scorer on the team made only eight markers.

Despite the loss, the G-Stars are already in the playoffs, along with the Junior Nationals, San Antonio Sixers, Rollers I, Kontenders, Suns, Sonics, and the Chalan Kanoa Saints.

Pairings in the first round of the playoffs are expected to be released today.

The playoffs will have a single-elimination format.

CNMI Junior Nationals 64 – White 21, Castro 20, Moses 13, Villagomez 5.

G-Stars 48 – N. Mateo 20, D. Mateo 8, Jung 8, Palacios 4, Ichihara 4, Rangamar 2, Sablan 2.

Scoring by halves: 27-26, 64-48.