Mobil co-ed league resumes tonight

After a weeklong Lenten break, the 2006 Mobil Oil Marianas Co-ed Invitational Basketball League resumes tonight with its regular doubleheader at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Powerhouse Aqua Resort Club (1-0) will attempt to follow up its rout of defending champion Fiesta Resort & Spa when it goes up against Commonwealth Utilities Corp. in the 6pm first game.

Aqua Resort, which reduced the 2005 champions into fodder 78-65 on opening day last April 4, will continue to rely on their Four Deadly Ds—Dalewin Cortez, Eric Dalangin, Chris Domingo, and Dalewin Barbo.

CUC, which will be making its debut, is expected lean on rugged power forward Oscar Sablan and veteran guard George Poquiz.

Fiesta Resort (0-1), meanwhile, will try to bounce back from that loss to Aqua Resort when it tangles with a souped-up Microl-Toyota (1-0) squad in the second game beginning at 8pm. Toyota is fresh from a 112-86 blowout of Commonwealth Ports Authority also last April 4.

The hoteliers were no match against an Aqua Resort team firing in all cylinders in their last game and figures to get another stiff challenge from a Toyota team that is two players deep in every position.

Expected to carry the load for Microl is CNMI National Women’s Team ace Connie Camacho, 2002 MVP Jorge De Guzman, fellow UFO veterans Leo Factor, Kevin Cequena, Marlon De Dios, Jolan Mendiola, Elbyn Cecilia, and Edmark Mendoza.

Fiesta Resort, for its part, will rely on the starting frontline of Cris Adams, Roland Galag, and Tom Alegre, and the speedy backcourt of Elmer Esdrelon and Adonis Macoto. Much-ballyhooed cage belle Mariko Okasaki is expected to have her hands full against the streaky Camacho.

The Mobil league continues on Thursday with CPA (0-1) squaring off against Saipan Ice and Water Co. (0-1) in the first game and Hyatt Regency Saipan (1-0) battling McDonald’s (1-0) in the second.

Host Mobil Oil Marianas get a bye this week but will return to action in the first game Tuesday, April 25, against CUC.

The Mobil co-ed basketball league was formed in 2001 to give the giant oil company a venue to fellowship with its client companies. Since its inaugural season, the cagefest has grown in popularity and has attracted a following made up mostly of employees and staff of teams participating in league.

It has even survived the demise of league pioneer and 2003 champion Pacific Development Inc. and that year’s second runner-up Pacific Island Aviation.

Last year, Dai-Ichi Hotel Saipan Beach (Now Fiesta Resort and Spa) won the championship against Mobil, 130-114.

Empty-handed in its first three years in the league (it didn’t suit up in the league’s inaugural season), Dai-Ichi benefited with its merging with sister team Tan Holding Corp. and fielded a powerful lineup led by 2005 MVP Esdrelon and a Japanese import in the person of cage belle Noe Okahira.

The Mobil crown was previously worn by Tan Holdings (2001), Microl (2002), PDI (2003), and Aqua Resort Club (2004).

For more information on the 2006 Mobil Oil Marianas Invitational Co-ed Basketball League, contact chairman Abner Venus at 888-3228.