San Antonio, Saints win in Rotary

San Antonio and the Chalan Kanoa Saints closed last week’s Saipan Rotary Club Youth Basketball League action with a bang on Thursday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

In the curtain opener, the Saints had their prayers answered as they notched another victory with a 73-56 win over the young Capitol Hill Breeze.

The Saints got a huge outing from guard L.J. Reyes, who scored the team’s first 12 points and added another two later in the first half to lift Chalan Kanoa to a 32-30 lead.

For his part, Syl Tellei helped Capitol Hill keep pace with seven points.

Breeze was not able to match up well with the Saints the entire game and began to fall farther behind as the second half got underway.

Luis Reyes worked his way for 14 points, Rick San Nicolas added eight points, and L.J. Reyes knocked down three bombs from long distance as the Saints distanced themselves from their opponents.

L.J. Reyes led the Saints with 23 points, while Luis Reyes and San Nicolas contributed 19 and 10 points.

Tellei and Jess Vila led Breeze with 12 and 10 points.

Later in the evening, Joshua Sablan, Preston Basa, Bill Babauta, and their San Antonio teammates earned respect from neighbors San Antonio Sixers II with an 88-61 win.

Basa, Ernest Duenas, and Martin Pangelinan had the hot hand early for San Antonio, with Basa drilling 12 points and the other two both pumping in six points to spearhead a 37-28 run.

Sablan and Babauta picked up where their teammates left off and took over the game over when the second half started. Sablan scored all of his 20 points in the half, while Babauta pumped in all of his 12 points as well to help San Antonio bust the lead into double figures and close out the game with the 17-point victory margin.

FIRST GAME

Saints 73—L.J. Reyes 23, Luis Reyes 19, San Nicolas 10, Lizama 9, Kim 4, Ada 2, Manalo 2, Luiz. Reyes 2, La. Reyes 1, A. Nedlic 1.

Breeze 56—Tellei 12, Villa 10, Rangamar 8, Farley 6, A. Kaipat 5, Borja 5, J. Kaipat 4, Z. Joab 2, J. Joab 2, R. Kaipat 2.

Scoring by halves: 32-30, 73-56.

Referees: Arnold Mesa and Jess Pacheco.

SECOND GAME

San Antonio 88—J. Sablan 20, Basa 19, Babauta 12, Pangelinan 8, Duenas 8, Blas 6, You 6, Alvarez 4, Palacios 2, Cangco 2, B. Sablan 1.

Sixers II 61—Dela Cruz 11, Echon 10, Buena 8, Chan 8, A. Villegas 6, E. Villegas 6, Rosario 4, R. Bautista 2, E. Bautista 2, Salas 2, Aquino 2.

Scoring by halves: 37-28, 88-61.

Referees: Connie Camacho and Dado Vistal.