Easy wins for Fiesta, Kanoa

Fiesta Resort’s Arjay Nonato loses the ball as he is sandwiched by Shirley’s Coffee Shop’s Jerome Pollisco, third right, and Erick Dela Rosa, right, during the second half of their game in the Tan Holdings caging last Friday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Kanoa Resort and Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan kept their hold to the Top 2 spots in the team standings in the 2016 Tan Holdings Inter-Company Basketball League after cruising to victories last Friday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

Kanoa hammered JP Mambas in the first game, 92-38, while Fiesta outclassed Shirley’s Coffee Shop, 69-54, in the final match last weekend. Kanoa now has an 8-0 mark to remain on top of the leaderboard, while not far behind is Fiesta with its 6-2 slate. Shirley’s fell to an even 4-4 record for third place, while Mambas dropped to a 2-5 card for a share of fourth to fifth place with Lower Base, which defeated Pacific Oriental, Inc., 53-47, in last weekend’s second match.

In the first game, Kanoa’s offensive firepower proved too much for Mambas, as the former more than doubled the latter’s output.

Matt Duenas and Douglas Schmidt’s combined production alone was enough to outgun the entire Mambas crew. Matt scored 26 points, while Schmidt added 25. Ernest Duenas and Rodney Sacramento also hit double figures in Kanoa’s eighth lopsided win in as many games, chipping in 18 and 11, respectively.

Youth player Djay Ong was the lone twin-digit scorer for Mambas, making 10. Mambas was still in the match at the end of the first half, facing a 16-point deficit, but lost it completely in the second as Kanoa’s gunners drilled shots everywhere.

In the second match, Lower Base built a double-digit spread in the first half, 27-17, and withstood POI’s rally in the final frame to escape with the 6-point win.

Ariel Jinang paced the winning squad with his 10 points and drew enough support from his teammates, as six other Lower Base players contributed at least 4 points each. Ramsa Tenepere also had 10 points for POI.

In the third game, Fiesta pulled away in the final part of the second half for the 15-point winning margin.

The defending champion was on top by only three at the break, 29-26, but gained a sizeable lead midway in the second half behind its balance scoring. Five Fiesta players converted at least two baskets apiece in the final half to beat Shirley’s, which had only four players scoring in the entire match.

First Game
Kanoa 92— M. Duenas 26, Schmidt 25, E. Duenas 18, Sacramento 11, Pablo 8.
Mambas 38 — D. Ong 10, Raho 9, De La Torre 6, Rabago 5, Calibo 4, J. Ong 4.
Scoring by halves: 35-19, 92-38.

Second Game
Lower Base 53 — Jinang 10, Bazinero 9,W. Benavente 6, Fujihara 6, Echavez 5, Cruz 5 , Alegre 4, J. Benavente 2, Camu 2, Omar 2.
POI 47 — Tenepere 10, Arago 8, Ramos 6, Villaluna 6, Santos 5, Palacios 4, Mendiola 4, Yu 2.
Scoring by halves: 27-17, 53-47.

Third Game
Fiesta 69 — Matsutaro 18, Esdrelon 14, Quizon 9, Macoto 8, Rivera 6, Sedillo 6, Nonato 4, Villamena 4.
Shirley’s 54 — Jugos 20, Pollisco 13, Dela Rosa 12, Catungal 9.
Scoring by halves: 29-26, 69-54.