UOG Triton Athletics, Field House to host basketball friendlies for NMI national teams

The University of Guam Tritons men’s team, seen here posing for a group photo, will take part in the Basketball Friendlies against CNMI national team pools this week at the UOG Calvo Field House. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The University of Guam’s Triton Athletics and Field House Department will be hosting six games for the Men’s and Women’s National Teams of the Northern Marianas Islands in the UOG Calvo Field House on Thursday-Saturday, March 31-April 2, 2022.

The NMI teams will face teams from the University of Guam, Andersen Air Force Base and a couple of club teams from Guam.

On Thursday, March 31, the Northern Marianas Islands women’s team will play the Fuetsa women’s basketball club at 6:30pm and then NMI men’s team will face the MircoFriends club team at 8:15pm.

UOG Athletics director Doug Palmer said, “The Fuetsa basketball club has been committed to building women’s basketball on Guam and have played women’s basketball in the UOG leagues over the past several years and this was a great way to show our appreciation to them by giving Fuetsa an international game and the MicroFriends club opened their community tournaments to our university teams so we could play basketball when the UOG Calvo Field House was host for the vaccine program on Guam and we could not play basketball at our home court.”

On Friday, April 1, the Bombers from Andersen Air Force Base will make an appearance as the Lady Bombers will face NMI women at 6:30pm and the KFC Bombers will take on the NMI men at 8:15pm.

Palmer added “Both Bomber teams have been some of the best basketball teams on the island for years, and besides our Guam National Teams, the Bombers are the best examples of basketball on Guam to give the Northern Marianas Islands the best competition possible.”

And in the final match-up for Northern Marianas on Saturday, April 2, the Tritons and Lady Tritons from UOG will play their neighbors at 6:30pm and 8:15pm as well.

Palmer stated, “Our men’s team is very young, but is talented and should give NMI a good game, our women’s team is building from scratch, but the ladies are getting better every game we play, so hopefully they will give some good competition to the NMI women’s team.”

And finally, Palmer said of the overall experience “This was a great opportunity for some of the best and diverse basketball teams on the island of Guam to play the best team from the Northern Marianas Islands in some friendly competition here at the UOG Calvo Field House. NMI is warming up for some FIBA international competition in the next few months and we are glad to give our neighbors some games, competition and friendship”.

Limited spectators (250 per game) will be allowed for $5 for adults and $3 for non-UOG students and seniors (60 and above). UOG students are free to attend but numbers are still limited by the 250 per game total.

All games will be streamed “Live” from the field house on the UOG Athletic Facebook page that can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/UOGTritonAthletics . Fred Peters, boys basketball coach at St. John’s High School, will provide commentary and play by play for the games.

For more information, email Doug Palmer at palmerd@triton.uog.edu or call at (671)735-2862. (PR)