{"id":320933,"date":"2020-04-14T06:06:50","date_gmt":"2020-04-13T20:06:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=320933"},"modified":"2020-04-14T06:06:50","modified_gmt":"2020-04-13T20:06:50","slug":"rollers-coach-recalls-epic-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/rollers-coach-recalls-epic-win\/","title":{"rendered":"Rollers coach recalls epic win"},"content":{"rendered":"
Rollers coach Joe Diaz, standing fourth left, poses with his players after ruling one of the competitions in the Rotary caging at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium in 2006. Majority of Diaz\u2019s players were part of the Rollers\u2019 U14 team that pulled off a come-from-behind win in the finals of the 2004 Inter-Village Youth Basketball League. (Contributed Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Through the years, Rollers Basketball Club had its share of moments in the CNMI\u2019s basketball scene, but the one that topped coach Joe Diaz\u2019s list was their 2004 title win in the Inter-Village Youth Basketball League at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was against the Afetnas 69ers\u2014a team with so much firepower,\u201d Diaz said.<\/p>\n

According to Diaz, their team, which was then known as the G-Rollers, faced the Preston Basa-anchored 69ers, while mobile big man Bill Babauta, J.R. Ngeskebei, and Jack Sanchez were also on the opposing squad.<\/p>\n

The 69ers, who were coached by Ray Duenas, went up by 10 points in the last five minutes of the winner-take-all finale, but the G-Rollers refused to throw-in the towel and came back to steal the championship.<\/p>\n

A jumper from Jomar Tumaquip tied the match at 58-all, with less than a minute left in the game, while eventual Finals MVP Vince Teregeyo delivered the dagger for the G-Rollers. The lanky forward stole possession from the 69ers and went straight to the basket for the go-ahead, 60-58. The Rollers hung tough on defense in the closing seconds of the thrilling title match to avoid a monumental collapse in the season where the team went undefeated (11 games) in the elimination.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe came into to the finals unbeaten. Then all of a sudden we were down by 10 points halfway through the fourth quarter,\u201d said Diaz, who had Jose Tumaquip as his trusted lieutenant.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe called a timeout and told the boys that it\u2019s not right to go down like this with all the hard work we put in from Day 1 of the season,\u201d the long-time coach added.<\/p>\n

When the game resumed, a determined G-Rollers crew showed up, wanting to turn things over and prove something to their coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a pretty even match and it took hard work and mental toughness in the end to take that great win,\u201d Diaz said.<\/p>\n