Private school basketball to start 2009 season next week

The junior varsity division of the 2009 Coalition of Private School Basketball League will start on Jan. 22 with three games to be played simultaneously in various courts.

This year’s junior varsity caging will feature the girls and boys team of Saipan International School, Grace Christian Academy, Saipan Community School, Calvary Christian Academy, Seventh Day Adventists, and Mt. Carmel School.

The first half of the season will have the girls teams playing first starting at 3:30pm. Beginning on Feb. 10, the boys games will be played ahead of the girls’.

Both divisions will have a double round-robin format in the regular season with the top two teams automatically gaining semis slots. The last four squads will battle for the two remaining semifinal berths.

The GCA Eagles are the defending champions in the boys division following their 62-54 victory over Mt. Carmel School during last season’s title match.

It was a come-from-behind win for the Eagles, who trailed most of the time in the first half.

Lester Vertudez fired 12 of his 22 points in the second half to lead GCA’s recovery.

Vertudez was later named MVP of the league and joined teammate Edward Angelo Salas, SIS’ Lucas Knecht, Seventh Day Adventist School’s Michi Yoshida, Saipan Community School’s Justin Poon, and Reynald Cabaltica of the Knights on the All-Conference Team.

This year, the Eagles will have an early rematch against the Knights, as the latter host the defending champions at the MCS court.

In the girls division, Saipan International School foiled a GCA sweep last season after cruising to a 37-23 win against the Lady Eagles.

Zoe Jewell, Amber Roberts, and Serena Patillo teamed up in SIS’ title win combining for 23 of the team’s total output.

Jewell took the MVP honors in the girls division and was part of the All-Conference Team, which also included GCA’s Ricci Pamintuan and SCS’ Han Mil Oh.

The Lady Geckos will start their title defense against Saipan Community School at the SIS court in As Lito.

The other game scheduled in the opening day next Thursday will have the CCA Sharks meeting SDA at Calvary’s home turf in Chalan Kiya.

Organizers are hoping to finish the regular season games in the last week of February and start the playoffs in March.

The playoffs are scheduled tentatively on March 3, 5, and 6 at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.