Rocball semis cast complete

The semifinals cast in the 2008-2009 World Organized Rocball Community League is complete after four more teams were shown the exit door over the weekend at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.

Making it to the Final Four are Okies, Ghasias Brothers, Evenflow, and Fanians. Taking an early Christmas vacation and joining the Naturals are Islanders, Soul Rebels, No Mercy, and FSM Rebels.

The FSM Rebels entered last weekend’s games with a 0-2 record and finished the second round still winless after back-to-back losses on Friday and Saturday.

No Mercy handed the FSM Rebels their third loss in a row with the former nailing a juiced-out win, 69-32, Friday. On Saturday, Evenflow eliminated the FSM Rebels via a 64-42 triumph.

In the league’s rules, the team to lose four games in the second round is ousted.

No Mercy improved to a 2-2 slate after its win over the FSM Rebels, but the former dropped its next two matches to bow out of competition. No-Mercy lost to the Okies, 49-62, and against the Islanders, 55-43.

The fourth team to be eliminated was the Soul Rebels. The Fanians sent the Soul Rebels packing after a 76-53 victory that gave the former the third semis seat.

Evenflow and the Islanders slugged it out for the fourth and last semis berth.

Going into Saturday’s game, Evenflow had a 4-3 record, while the Islanders held a 3-3 slate.

Evenflow drew first blood in a do-or-die battle winning the opening set, 15-7. The Islanders recovered with a 16-14 victory in the second set, but failed to sustain its momentum in the third allowing Evenflow to notch a 15-7 triumph and take a 14-point lead, 44-30, going into the fourth set.

The Islanders prevented Evenflow from recording a juiced-out win when the former claimed the fourth set, 15-12.

Evenflow led after regulation, 56-45, but could not take the victory, as Rocball rules allow the leading team to win only if it prevails in the fourth set.

The battle for the final semis ticket went into overtime with Evenflow needing to win only one set. The Islanders must triumph in two sets.

The Islanders found a lease of life when they took the first overtime set, 10-4, but failed to complete a come-from-behind win when Evenflow recorded a 12-3 victory in the second set o-kon.

The semifinals will be played on Dec. 27 with Ghasias Brothers taking on the Okies at 5pm for the first finals slot. The Fanians and Evenflow will duel for the second finals berth at 7pm.

Winners of the two semis pairings will collide in a best-of-three title series.

The semis and title games will be a race to 25 points per set.