Dolphins edge visiting Japanese

Settsu Red Impulse’s cagebelles showed too much class against Hopwood, while Settsu’s boys team pushed the MHS Dolphins to the limit before falling short in the fourth quarter of their game yesterday in the Settsu-Saipan Friendship Basketball Tournament at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.

The female players of the visiting Japanese basketball club clobbered Hopwood Junior High School’s Hilitai, 93-42, while Settsu’s six-player boys squad lost to the Dolphins by a hair, 74-75.

Settsu had four players scoring in double figures with Miyu Hirose leading the way with 18 points. Ranko Sakai contributed with 12, while Hirai Nakamori and Shiho Tokimoto chipped in 12 apiece.

The visiting team from Osaka, Japan, had eight of its 12 players contributing on offense in the first quarter, which ended with Settsu ahead by 14, 18-4. Glorily Williams and Roxanne Duenas scored two points each for Hopwood.

Duenas went on to finish with 32 big points, but her scoring prowess was overshadowed by Settsu’s balance offense. Besides Duenas and Williams, only Victoria Reyes made it into the scoreboard for Hopwood, while Settsu had 11 players piling up points.

The 51-point win put Settsu in the title game against the winner of the MISO All-Stars-Chacha Oceanview Junior High School tiff, which was played yesterday, but results were unavailable at press time.

The title game in the girls’ 14-and-under division will be played today at the MHS gym at 10:30am.

In the boys’ 16-and-under division, Settsu almost made it to the championship match, as it led in the first half before losing the lead in the last one minute of the fourth quarter.

Tim Sula drilled six of the Dolphins last 10 points to allow MHS to steal the win.

Settsu showed the Dolphins its own brand of basketball, getting a lot of movements from its players both on offense and defense, canning long distance jumpers, and sprinting for fastbreak plays.

The visitors were ahead after the first quarter, 20-19, and increased their lead to as much as 10 points midway in the second canto , 38-28.

Unfortunately, the depleted lineup of Settsu failed to sustain its momentum in the second half when the Dolphins made a comeback.

MHS outscored Settsu, 21-12, in the third period to grab the lead, 56-55.

Sula, who had only two field goals after three quarters, took on the cudgels for the Dolphins in the payoff canto, firing nine of the team’s 19 points to preserve the lead and steal the game.

The Dolphins will play Saipan Southern High School in today’s title match at 9am. The Manta Rays advanced to the championship game after slipping past Kagman High School’s Ayuyus, 93-86.

[B]Girls 14[/B] [B]Settsu 93[/B] – Hirose 18, Sakai 12, Nakamori 11, Tokimoto 11, Aoki 9, Rika 9, Nakano 7, Inui 6, Hidari 6, Yauchi 2, Taguchi 2.

[B]Hopwood 42[/B] – Duenas 32, Reyes 8, Gases 2.

[B]Scoring by quarters:[/B] 18-4, 46-18, 53-28, 92-43

[B]Boys 16[/B] [B]MHS 75[/B] – Sula 14, Sarmiento 10, Chan 9, Hidalgo 8, Feria 7, Manalili 7, Ambalan 6, Crisostimo 6, Liberato 2.

[B]Settsu 74[/B] – Hidari 20, Kuroda 16, Yamamoto 14, Sakabuchi 11, Shinohara 10, Takahashi 5.

[B]Scoring by quarters:[/B] 19-20, 35-43, 56-55, 75-74.