World Resort slips past Tinian, easy victories for Hyatt, Aqua

The 2009 Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino Invitational Basketball League kicked off Monday night at the Tinian Municipal Gymnasium with three teams opening their campaign in the inaugural caging on a winning note.

Saipan World Resort posted the closest win in the triple-threat opener outlasting host Club TDHC, 72-68.

World Resort led by 12 at the end of the third period, 54-42, before Tinian rallied in the fourth quarter, but fell short.

Tinian outscored World Resort in the fourth, 26-18, but the latter preserved the win after getting crucial baskets from Banjo Basilla and Wowie Abuel, who drilled eight and four points in the payoff period.

Basila top-scored for World Resort with 19, while Abuel finished with 14. Kae Bernardo and Dennis Vinas were the two other double figure scorers for World Resort making 17 and 11 points, respectively.

Noel Sabordo paced Tinian with 17 points.

In other results, Hyatt Regency Saipan and Aqua Resort Club posted double-digit winning margins over separate foes.

Hyatt drew 30-plus points from Jericho Cruz and Cris Arreza to beat Pacific Islands Club, 107-94.

Cruz exploded for 36 points, while Arreza nailed 35.

Hyatt was ahead by only five points, 73-68, at the end of the third quarter, when Arreza and Cruz sparked the team’s breakaway in the fourth canto.

Arreza drilled 18 points in the fourth, while Cruz made 10, as the duo outgunned PIC’s 1-2 punch of Darwin Barbo and Ryan Sanciangco. Barbo had 12 markers in the fourth, while Sanciangco added eight of his 36 big points in the final period.

In the third game, Aqua Resort Club outlasted Asia Pacific Hotel, Inc., 85-73.

After keeping pace with Aqua in the first half, fatigue finally caught up with APHI in the last 20 minutes of the game allowing Aqua to record an easy win.

APHI was behind by only nine at halftime, 38-47, when Aqua began pulling away in the third period behind Jun Estolas and Kelvin Fitial and took a 73-60 advantage, entering the fourth quarter.

It was cruise control for Aqua from then on.

Meanwhile, league organizers thanked the general managers of the participating hotels for allowing their players to go to Tinian.

The list includes Saipan Grand Hotel’s Ed Cho, Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan’s B.K. Park, PIC’s Kieran Daly, Aqua’s Hiro Sugie, Hyatt’s Nick Nishikawa, and Tinian’s Tom Liu.
[B] First Game

World Resort 72[/B] – Basila 19, Bernardo 17, Abuel 14, Vinas 11, Caruana 5, Madriano 2, Scinieder 2, Wabinga 2.
[B] TDHC 68[/B] – Sabordo 17, Fernandez 13, Ri. Reyes 9, Manalo 8, Ramirez 6, Castillo 4, Evangelista 4, Advincula 2, Flores 2, R.J. Reyes 2, Espiritu 1.

[B]Scoring by quarters:[/B] 22-13, 38-27, 54-42, 72-68.
[B] Second Game[/B] [B]Hyatt 107[/B] – Cruz 36, Arreza 35, Mendoza 14, Aquino 11, Magno 8, Umali 2, Libuw 2.
[B] PIC 94[/B] – Sanciangco 36, Barbo 29, Kaipat 15, Abuy 6, Tolentino 3, Tudela 3, Babauta 2.

Scoring by quarters: 20-21, 43-49, 73-68, 107-94.
[B] Third Game

ARC 85[/B] – Estolas 29, Fitial 13, Johanes 13, Gapor 8, Acosto 5, Aquino 5, Ruluked 5, Torres 4, Sablan 2, Achas 1.
[B] APHI 73[/B] – Esdrelon 21, Palero 18, Opone 10, Usi 10, Jinang 6, Macoto 4, Manglona 4.

[B]Scoring by quarters:[/B] 22-18, 47-38, 73-60, 85-73.