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Rays set title rematch with Ayuyus
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Posted on Dec 08 2008
Saipan Southern High School was assured of a title defense in the 2008-2009 Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization Basketball League following its 90-46 semifinals win over Mt. Carmel School Friday night at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.
The Rays halted the Knights’ third quarter rally with the former’s trapping defense en route to a 44-point blowout win that allowed Southern to set a title rematch with Kagman High School.
The Ayuyus notched the first finals ticket after whipping the MHS Dolphins, 80-66.
Southern was ahead by 12 at halftime, 38-26, and increased the lead to as much as 18 points in the early part of the second half, 44-26.
But Min Seoung Kim single-handedly brought the Knights back into the game, 37-44, making 11 points in the third period before the Rays had a 7-1 windup up in the last one minute of that canto to regain control of the match.
The Knights failed to sustain their momentum in the closing minutes of the third quarter, as they were rattled by the Rays’ pressured defense.
Southern harassed Mt. Carmel’s inbound passer and recipient forcing several errors and converting these miscues into points.
The Rays continued playing trapping defense in the fourth period despite a big lead making life miserable for the Knights, who were scoreless in the first five minutes of that quarter.
The Knight in several occasions could not cross the mid court line against the Rays’ tough defense, and when the former did, they took hurried shots and missed most of them.
Midway in the fourth period, Southern’s lead ballooned to 38, 78-46.
The Knights were held to eight points in the fourth period drilling most of them when the Rays’ finally put their guards down in the last three minutes of the match.
The Rays and the Ayuyus title showdown in the boys’ junior varsity dvision will be played on Friday at 4:30pm. Tomorrow, the Lady Rays and the Lady Ayuyus will collide for the girls’ tiara.
[B]SSHS 9[/B]0 – Ecalnea 28, A. Palacios 21, Cadiang 7, Wesley 6, Villanueva 6, Ngeskebei 5, Salem 5, Sablan 4, Paek 4, Ferrer 4, Bicera 2, M. Palacios 2. [B]MCS 46[/B] – M. Kim 26, B. Baka 8, Han 7, Yoon 5. [B]Scoring by quarters[/B]: 17-7, 38-26, 51-38, 90-46.
