Loving Hands, Safety 1st win in Docomo U17 opener

 Loving Hands Daycare and Safety 1st came away the victors of the Docomo Pacific Summer Youth Basketball League’s U17 division season opener held last Monday at the Garapan Basketball Court.

Loving Hands outlasted IT&E Rollers-A, 59-50, in the curtain raiser, while Safety 1st torched Rollers 16B, 49-20, in the late match.

The U17 season continues next Monday with the Cougars taking on IT&E Rollers-B at 5:30pm followed by RBC-Agape challenging PROA at 6:30pm.

Meanwhile, Docomo’s U25 division opening matches will be held in Garapan this Friday starting at 5:30pm featuring the R-Rebels against the Saints followed by GVH squaring off with Safety 1st at 6:30pm.

The rest of the U25 field consists of the Shottas, Rollers, Peacemakers, and Hi-5.

Loving Hands had seven different players contribute offensively in the opening 16 minutes of Monday’s early pairing and managed a slim, 20-18, favor at midpoint.

Then Loving Hands’ Jack Aranda turned it up a notch in the second half and dropped 14 points that went with nine more in support from teammate Bryl Alegre en route to the sound victory.

IT&E Rollers-A hung around for a good while, but Loving Hands maintained at least a two-possession margin for the majority of the contest.

Aranda paced the field with 18 points, two baskets more than IT&E Rollers-A’s mainstay Prince Factor.

It was all Safety 1st in the second game as the group pummeled the greener Rollers 16B squad, 24-3, in the first half.

Safety 1st’s John Darag buried a couple of 3-pointers that matched the inside production from teammate Erick Dela Rosa.

Rollers 16B got things rolling in the second half, but could not dig its way out of the early hole.

Keolani Rios led the young up-and-comers late in the match with 9 points and finished just 1-point shy of teammate Ted Vivero. However, Safety 1st’s Darag and Mike Mancao matched their effort in the final period.

Darag led all scorers with 16 points, while Rollers 16B’s Vivero finished 10 points in the loss.

First Game

Loving Hands Daycare 59 – Aranda 18, Alegre 11, De Guzman 9, Villanueva 8, Javier 6, Ito 4, Feria 2.

IT&E Rollers-A 50 – Factor 14, Iglesias 12, Lixing 11, Malonzo 7, Ano 5.

Scoring by halves: 20-18, 59-50.

Second Game

Safety 1st 49 – Darag 16, Mancao 13, Dela Rosa 8, Babauta 6, Rabasto 4, T. Caro 2.

Rollers 16B 20 – Vivero 10, Rios 9, Perez 1.

Scoring by halves: 24-3, 49-20.