G-Rollers I wins first Rotary title

The Garapan Rollers I entered the finals of the 2006 Saipan Rotary Club Youth Basketball League with a mission.

In hopes of proving that they learned from last year’s performance in the title game, the team made sure their second straight championship game appearance was going to go their way.

It certainly did as the team did what was needed and defeated rival San Antonio Sixers, 87-79, Friday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

It wasn’t an easy road to the title, though, as the Sixers proved to be a worthy opponent, pushing the G-Rollers from beginning to end.

San Antonio guard Preston Basa had the hot hand in the early going, hitting three triples that kept the Sixers within a point, 14-15, with Garapan guard Kevin Aldan connecting for two triples as well.

Aldan and Allen Moses continued to punch in points for the G-Rollers I, but the team was not able to pull away as the Sixers kept pace courtesy of aggressive drives to the basket by James Camacho, Frank Blas, and Ernest Duenas.

The Sixers, who last led, 11-9, at the start of the contest, managed to force the G-I crew to commit four straight turnovers, which turned into a 9-0 run that gave San Antonio a 43-38 lead with 2:29 left in the first half.

The G-Rollers, however, were able to respond before halftime, with Pedro Iguel spearheading a 12-3 run, including an acrobatic layup while being fouled with 12.3 seconds left in the half. Iguel hit his free throw and the G-Rollers were able to head into the break with a four-point edge, 50-46.

The Sixers tried relentlessly to close the gap, but the G-Rollers wound up having a stronger run to start the second half. Baskets by Jayvan Tarkong, Iguel, Aldan, and a triple by Robert Naraja gave Garapan a double-digit lead, 62-52, almost seven minutes into the half. G-I kept their comfortable lead and went up by as much as 14 points, 76-62, on a basket by Moses.

That’s when Bill Babauta tried to take over for the Sixers. The center scored nine points in the final seven minutes of the half, and the Sixers even broke to within eight points, 75-83, on a strong drive by Babauta with a little over two minutes to play.

Wong Joo Jung cut the lead to six points on a huge bucket, 77-83, with 1:06 left, but that was as close as the Sixers got as Guy Mosley powered up a basket despite being fouled in the paint and Moses and Keoni Chariton hit key free throws to seal the deal.

Aldan and Tarkong finished with 18 points to lead the G-Rollers I, while Moses and Iguel supported with 12 points apiece.

Babauta led San Antonio with 16 points, while Basa and Blas finished with 15 and 14 points. James Camacho and Ernest Duenas also had 12 and 10 points.

Earlier, the Garapan Rollers II secured third place with a down-the-wire victory over the Chalan Kanoa Saints, 75-74.

G-II trailed by 15 points at the break, but outscored their opponents, 47-31, in the second half to win.

Anirut Tebuteb led G-II with 16 points, while Rodney Salas and Don Teregeyo pumped in 14 and 13 points. Jericho Cruz and Steve Tellei also had 12 and 11 points.

George Iglecias led the Saints with 19 points, while Josh Nakashima and L.J. Reyes pumped in 17 and 10 points.

[B]Championship Game[/B] [B]G-I 87[/B] – Aldan 18, Tarkong 16, Iguel 12, Moses 12, Tumaquip 8, Naraja 8, Teregeyo 7, Ada 3, Mosley 2, Chariton 1.

[B]Sixers 79[/B] – Babauta 16, Basa 15, Blas 14, Camacho 12, E. Duenas 10, Jung 4, M. Duenas 4, Maratita 2, R. Palacios 2.

[B]Scoring by halves[/B]: 50-46, 87-79.

[B]Referees[/B]: Noel Delos Santos, Arnold Mesa, and Jess Pacheco.

[B]Consolation Game[/B] [B]G-II 75[/B] – Tebuteb 16, Ro. Salas 14, Teregeyo 13, Cruz 12, Tellei 11, Ri. Salas 4, Catalla 3, Calvo 2.

[B]Saints 74[/B] – G. Iglecias 19, Nakashima 17, L.J. Reyes 10, Be. Iglecias 9, Kim 6, J. Camacho 4, Nedlic 4, By. Iglecias 3, Lu. Reyes 2.
[B] Scoring by halves[/B]: 28-43, 75-74.

[B]Referees[/B]: Jess Pacheco, Arnold Mesa, and Noel Delos Santos.