DCCA captures 1st Inter-Govt League championship

Department of Community and Cultural Affairs used a six-point swing with about five minutes to go to vanquish Department of Public Safety 80-71 in the championship game of the Inter-Government League played at the Garapan basketball courts last Friday.

Tournament top scorrer Ed Diaz converted all four of his gift shots, two on a technical foul on the DPS bench, to up the lead of DCCA from a precarious two points to a more comfortable six points during that pivotal stretch of the fourth quarter.

With DCCA, retaining ball possession, center Julian Camacho scored on a looping jump shot over the outstretched arms of DPS’ menacing center Abong Camacho, to further pad DCCA’s lead to eight, 62-54, with less than four minutes left in the game.

DPS never recovered from the avalanche of DCCA points coming in less than half a minute, as Peter Camacho and Elias Saralu misfired on short jumpers and three point attempts. A frustrated Peter Camacho even took his fifth and final foul as he warded off a DCCA player in a fastbreak lay-up attempt.

Before DCCA’s six-point spurt, the game was close with neither team enjoying a lead of more than eight points. But what compounded DPS’ woes was their non-use of their whole 12-man roster in the early goings of the championship game.

The lapse was probably caused by the absence of DPS coach Bernard Santos. Inter-Government League rules stipulate that a team must give all its players time on the hardcourt.

The boo-boo resulted in DPS employing mostly its reserves in the first minutes of the fourth quarter. DCCA’s first stringers took DPS’ shock troopers to school but its lead was whittled down when the Camacho brothers and Saralu once again took to the court with about half the quarter remaining.

Diaz, who erupted with a game high 32 points, then tried to put sanity back in DCCA’s offense by driving hard to the basket but was met by a phalanx of DPS defenders.

The referee called a foul as Diaz tried to go up, which resulted in an uproar from the DPS bench. That was when the technical foul was assessed against DPS and it was all down hill from there for the law enforcers.

DPS also could be faulted for not taking advantage of key DCCA players in foul trouble and not giving the ball at low post to Abong Camacho, where the 6’4″ veteran slotman was clearly half a head taller than DCCA players ranged against him.

Aside from Diaz’s 32 points, 12 rebounds, five steals and two blocks, DCCA was also paced by Elias Rangamar’s 16 points, eight assists and three steals, and Julian Camacho’s 12 points and seven rebounds.

DPS’ gallant stand was led by Peter Camacho’s 24 points and six rebounds, Abong Camacho’s 16 points and 15 rebounds and Elias Saralu’s 15 markers.