Party Rockers, Aye Parr Battay win debuts

The 2011 BANMI Women’s Summer Basketball League kicked off last Friday with Aye Parr Battay and Party Rockers prevailing in their respective debuts at the TSL Sports Complex.

Aye Parr Battay played in the curtain raiser and nailed a come-from-behind 63-52 victory over Mix-A-Lot. In the second game, Party Rockers routed Lazy Buttss, 72-52.

Aye Parr Battay took the 11-point win despite a depleted lineup. Only five of the 11 players in Aye Parr Battay’s roster showed up in the league’s opening game. Then after only few minutes in the second half, Aye Parr Battay was down to four players as Jamie Mendoza was injured, following a collision in the paint.

Mix-A-Lot opted to also play with four players and the ploy backfired as after leading most of the way in the first half, the team was stuck at 40 points for more than five minutes. Mendoza momentarily returned, but went out anew in the last four minutes of the game.

With Mendoza definitely out of the match, Lily Williams and Joanna Palero stepped up in the closing stages of the game to grab the lead. Vanessa Bartolo and Jeralyn Castillo also contributed with their fastbreak layups and Aye Parr Battay entered the last two-minute mark on top by eight, 56-48.

Aye Parr Battay hung in there and Bartolo put the finishing touches on their debut win, scoring six of the team’s last eight points.

Williams paced Aye Parr Battay with 25 markers, while Palero had 18. Bartolo chipped in nine and Castillo added eight.

In the second game, Party Rockers broke away early in the first half en route to a 20-point victory.

Party Rockers, who are composed of the core of the CNMI U15 Team that finished second in last month’s Micronesian Basketball Tournament in Palau, escaped with several fastbreak layups in the first 10 minutes of play for a big 38-15 halftime advantage.

Ira Palero and Daylinne Joseph picked up the scoring for Lazy Buttss, but still the team fell short, as Party Rockers found a way to break its foe’s trapping defense midway in the second half.

Rachel Abrams top-scored for Party Rockers with 20 points, while Jeraldine Castillo had 16, and Melody Johnson and Kaylani Lebria contributed 11 apiece.

Palero led all scorers with 23, while Joseph tallied 12.

Games in the women’s league are played every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The four participating team will play in a three-round robin regular season. Format in the playoffs has yet to be announced.

Aye Parr Battay 63 – Williams 25, Palero 18, Bartolo 9, Castillo 8, Mendoza 3.

Mix-A-Lot 52 – Pagarao 24, Iriate 8, Mesa 6, Hofschneider 6, Alegre 6, De Luna 2.

Scoring by halves: 27-32, 63-52.

Party Rockers 72 – Abrams 20, Castillo 16, Johnson 11, Lebria 11, Ito 8, Gozon 7.

Lazy Buttsss 52 – Palero 23, Joseph 12, Pialug 8, Javier 4, Lizardo 2, Monroyo 2, Rios 1.

Scoring by halves: 38-15, 72-52.