Saints take U20 title in RBC caging

Chalan Kanoa Saints claimed the U20 division crown in the RBC Easter Basketball Invitational Tournament after downing the San Antonio Sixers in the finals, 76-65, Saturday at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.

The Eric Atalig-sponsored Saints got a big lift from CNMI Nationals players Jericho Cruz and Marvin Rabauliman to top the U20 division, which featured five teams.

Project Impact, Rollers, and the Sparks were the three other teams that joined the inaugural tournament Rollers Basketball Club organized.

The Saints were the lone Saipan-based team to win a championship in the RBC caging, as Guam’s Barrigada Crusaders ruled the U14 and U17 divisions of the Easter tournament.

Cruz and Rabauliman scored the Saints’ first 10 points and the former went on to nail two triples and fired six more points in the remaining minutes of the first half to give their team a 33-27 halftime lead.

Rabauliman picked up where Cruz left of in the opening minutes of the second half, making eight of the Saints’ first 14 markers. The rest of the Saints players joined the second-half breakaway with Zack Tudela, Luizi Reyes, Leo Galarse, and Juan Camacho getting easy baskets.

With the Saints getting contributions from every player they fielded in the game, they led by as much as 19 points, 60-41, midway in the second half.

Mike Eclevia and Ernest Duenas tried to bring the Sixers back into the game, but ran out of time and failed to get support from their teammates.

Cruz top-scored for the Saints with 26 points, while Rabauliman finished with 20. Reyes added 10, Tudela made eight, and Galarse and Camacho chipped in six apiece.

Jason Bahillo led the Sixers with 19 points, but he had only six points in the second half, making four of them when the game was already decided.

The Saints won their first game in the tournament, beating Project Impact, 85-68, and then defeated Rollers. The eventual champions advanced to the title game after topping the Sixers, 78-74.

The Sixers prevailed over Rollers and the Sparks, before losing to the Saints in the winner’s bracket semifinals. The Ray Duenas-coach Sixers then dropped to the loser’s bracket and had to beat Project Impact to gain the last finals ticket.

Saints 76 – J. Cruz 26, Rabauliman 20, Lu. Reyes 10, Tudela 8, Galarse 6, Camacho 6.

Sixers 65 – Bahillo 19, E. Duenas 13, Eclevia 12, Jung 7, M. Duenas 5, White 4, Salas 1.

Scoring by halves: 33-27, 76-65.