Kagman nips Manta Rays on Pangelinan triple

Saipan Southern High School’s Frankie Satur takes a shot against Kagman High School defenders during the opening of the IT&E Interscholastic Boys High School Basketball League last month at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.
(ROSELYN B. MONROYO)

Darren Pangelinan connected on a triple with 2 seconds left to lift Kagman High School to a pulsating 29-28 win over Saipan Southern High School at the start of the IT&E Interscholastic Boys High School Basketball League last Friday at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.

The Ayuyus led 24-23 going into the last 2 minutes of the contest following a couple of free throws from Lucio Aldan. The Manta Rays retook the lead moments later on a T.J. Factor triple, his only points of the game.

Kagman came empty in their next possession and Frankie Satur, who led all scorers with 16 points, then went coast-to-coast to give Southern a 28-24 advantage with less than a minutes to go.

Saipan Southern High School’s T.J. Factor, second left, is hounded by two Kagman High School defenders during their game in the IT&E Interscholastic Boys High School Basketball League last Jan. 21 at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.
(ROSELYN B. MONROYO)

After an Ayuyu timeout, Aldan drove against the teeth of the Southern defense before making a dime to Garrett Mariano for an inside basket. Factor tried to bomb away from 3-point distance once again but came up empty. Both teams would exchange traveling violations and then with 13 second left in the game, Christian Achas inbounded the ball to Aldan who again drove toward the basket before kicking it out to Pangelinan who confidently shot it from rainbow country for the win. With no more timeouts, the Ayuyus were forced to shoot a Hail Mary from the backcourt with Satur’s heave drawing iron but was too long.

It was nip-and-tuck all game long with Kagman taking a 13-11 lead at halftime. Pangelinan paced the Day 1 winners with 10 points with Mariano adding 7 markers of his own. Satur’s 16 points were wasted in a heartbreaking loss.

In the other game, Kuu Nishimura and Charlie McDonald scored 6 points apiece to spearhead Saipan International School’s shellacking of Mt. Carmel School’s junior varsity team’s 31-6.

The Lady Knights, meanwhile, escaped with a 6-5 win over the SSHS Lady Manta Rays at the start of the IT&E Interscholastic Girls High School Basketball League last Wednesday also at the MHS Gym.

Mt. Carmel blanked SSHS in the first half, 5-0, before holding back the Lady Manta Rays in the second half thanks to the lone second half free throw of Kaia Travilla.

Wednesday
MCS 6 – Travilla 3, Bucalig 3.
SSHS 5 – Younis 3, Elias 2 .
Scoring by halves: 5-0, 6-5.

Friday
KHS 29 – D. Pangelinan 10, Mariano 7, Hocog 5, Aldan 4, Ortiz 2, J. Pangelinan 1.
SSHS 28 – Satur 16, Factor 3, Garcia 2, Feria 2, Raquepo 2, Gilas 2.
Scoring by halves: 13-11, 29-28.
SIS 31 – Nishimura 6, McDonald 6, Lu 4, Nam 4, Song 4, Castro 4, Liang 2.
MCS JV 6 – Morales 2, Guerrero 2, Cepeda 2.
Scoring by halves: 18-2, 31-6.