Diaz gets Finals MVP

Ali’i Blue Haus/Bayani’s Ed Diaz uses the board for a shot against 8th Division/MAFEA’s Amor Zapata during in their championship game last week at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Former CNMI National Team player Ed Diaz earned the Finals MVP award in the 2016 UFO/IT&E Inter-Organizational Basketball League after helping Ali’i Blue Haus/Bayani beat 8th Division/MAFEA, 78-62, in their championship game last week at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Diaz had a double-double in the finals as he scored 18 points and hauled 13 rebounds. The Marianas Visitors Authority employee also recorded two assists, two steals, and a block for an all-around game. He made 8 of his points in the final quarter, including 6 straight markers that ended 8th Division’s hopes for a comeback win.

Diaz and other individual and team awardees in the league were recognized during UFO’s Christmas Party last Sunday at the Philcom Pavilion in Susupe.

Elmer Esdrelon, also of Ali’i Blue Haus/Bayani, was named to the Mythical Team along with 8th Division’s Alex Lauron and Kelvin Fitial, Best Sunshine International-Blue Eagle’s Douglas Schmidt, and PC Bargain/Visminda’s James Villacrusis.

Villacrusis got two awards, as he was named the scoring champion of the league after collecting 219 points in the single round-robin elimination and averaging 27.37 per match. The PC Bargain gunner defeated Cavite’s Preston Basa (23.50 ppg) and Save More’s Sid Quan (19.62 ppt).

Schmidt failed to finish in the Top 3 in scoring after missing one game in the regular season, but the BSI-Blue Eagle key player had the most awards in the league as he topped the steals department and was handed the Most Behaved and Disciplined Player trophy. Schmidt had 39 steals in the regular season to average 4.87 per match. He was way ahead of 8th Division’s Amor Zapata (26) and Esdrelon (16).

Esdrelon led the league in assists with his 35 to win his second award, while Quan and Schmidt, who had 24 each, and Armatech’s Bernard Montano (21) joined him in the Top 3.

Basa failed to get the scoring champion title, but he reigned supreme in the 3-point shooting after converting 46 shots from the parking lot. Stephen’s Pawnshop’s James Abuy was ranked second with his 29 triples, while Villacrusis came in at third with his 23.

In the rebounds department, Quan lorded it over in the nine-team field after recording 97. He was the runaway winner, as Fitial and BSI-Blue Eagle’s Tony Raho, had only 68 and 67, respectively. In the blocks division, Armatech’s Jerome Malasarte defeated BSI-Blue Eagle’s Brady Hammond, 8-7. Fitial led four other players with six blocks apiece.