PIC/NVM still undefeated

 Defending champion Pacific Islands Club/NVM is still in the club of unbeaten teams in the 3rd Annual Shirley’s Coffee Shop Invitational Basketball League, following a come-from-behind 71-65 win over PSS/McGraw-Hill last Thursday night at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

With its perfect 3-0 record, PIC is now in a three-way tie for the lead with Mobil and DFS Galleria, while PSS fell to third place in the 10-team field with an even 1-1 record.

PSS won its season debut last week, beating Grillin’, 91-86, and seemed headed for another victory, as it surged to an early double-digit lead against PIC, 23-13. However, PSS lost momentum after that and then collapsed completely in the fourth quarter where it was held to 11 points and only one field goal for about five minutes.

The fourth canto started with PSS ahead by only a hair, 54-53, and then PIC forced a deadlock, 58-all, with 6:14 left on the clock. With PIC catching up, PSS lost focus and was called for a technical foul in the ensuing play, as the latter fielded four “imports.” League rules allow only three players, who are not working in the team/company they are representing, at the court at the same time. Tamayo made the two technical free throws to put PIC on top, 60-58, and the defending champion never looked back, as it outgunned PIC in the five-minute span, 9-2.

PSS tried to save face, scoring five straight points off Villacrusis’ layup and Kelvin Fitial’s three-point play and cutting the deficit to four, 65-69, 29.5 seconds to go in the match. It had a chance to move closer when Ponce Rasa was called for a backing violation off PIC’s wild inbound play. However, PSS wasted the opportunity when Dave Sablan missed on his drive to the middle against PIC burly center Zack Diaz. Another Sablan muffed shot doomed PSS’ chances, while Tamayo hit a pair of charities in the last 10 seconds to seal the win.

Tamayo top-scored for PIC with 16, while Ziddy Johanes and Ponce added 10 each.

Fitial led all scorers with 21, but he was off in the second and third quarters when PIC bounced back. Sablan had a quiet 11 points, scoring only two points each in the first, third, and fourth quarter.

Fiesta 100, Hyatt 79

In the first game, Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan notched its second straight victory after crushing Hyatt Regency Saipan.

The win jumped Fiesta to second place with its 2-2 record, while the loss dropped Hyatt (1-3) to seventh spot.

Fiesta broke away in the third period, outscoring Hyatt, 31-18, to turn a manageable 50-43 lead to a big 81-61 advantage. Elmer Esdrelon, Ivan Devero, and Ernie Moises joined forces in the third-quarter run with the former firing nine points. Devero and Moises had six appoints apiece, while Jawn Joyner and Brendon Talania added three each.

With Fiesta leading by 20 in the fourth, Esdrelon relaxed a bit, leaving Devero the key to leading the team to victory in the final canto, as the latter added 11 more points.

Devero finished with a game-high 37 markers, while Esdrelon logged 28. Devero exploded early, nailing 15 in the opening quarter that ended with Fiesta ahead by only three, 24-21.

Esdrelon picked up where Devero left off in the second period, drilling 14 to stretch the lead to seven at the break, 50-43. Hyatt stayed in the game in the first half, but folded up in the second, as it had no player making baskets in succession in the final 20 minutes of the match. Hyatt’s top-scorer was Bernard Aquino, who posted 14 markers, but had only three points in the second half.

First Game

Fiesta Resort 100 – Devero 37, Esdrelon 28, Joyner 9, Moises 6, Macoto 5, Talania 5, Berline 5, Pablo 3, Ong 2.

Hyatt 79 – Aquino 14, Durant 12, Alipio 10, Umali 10, Tumaquip 8, Devero 8, Palacios 8, Mateo 2, Manzo 3, Ruelo 2, Castro 2.

Scoring by quarters: 24-21, 50-43, 81-61, 100-79.

Second Game

PIC/NVM 71 – Tamayo 16, Johanes 10, Rasa 10, Fernando 9, Diaz 8, Lizama 4, Aquino 5, Ortiz 2, Salem 2, Yabut 1.

PSS/McGraw-Hill 65 – Fitial 21, Sablan 11, Manibusan 8, Villacrusi 7, Lee 4, Cabrera 6, Buniag 3.

Scoring by quarters: 13-23, 32-38, 53-54, 71-65.