Makos slip by Ol’Aces, take second seed

Makos just can’t seem to hold on to a big lead.

A game removed from their heartbreaking 98-94 overtime loss to pennant champs Sixers I, Makos again let a big lead slip away before scrambling to a 70-69 victory over defending champion Ol’Aces in the final elimination game of the 2004 Saipan Rotary Club Summer Youth Basketball League Tuesday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

In a game originally played last Sept. 20 but was postponed because of the gym’s leaking roof, the sharks of coach Pol Magcalas scored the first 6 points after play was resumed and raced to a 10-point lead, 63-53, on a turnaround by power forward Christian Dela Cruz less than five minutes to go.

But like their game against Sixers I, the Makos played the game not to lose rather than to win and fell into a maze or turnovers and fired blanks from the free throw line in the homestretch.

Ol’Aces of coach Ambrose Ogumoro, meanwhile, just refused to give the game away on a silver platter and dug in for the final four minutes.

Leroy Kani, in foul trouble most of the match, scored on a nifty layup and Kovin Ogumoro and Steven Kim banged in two triples, as Ol’Aces inched closer, 68-63, with 1:51 left in the ballgame.

Dela Cruz had a chance to put his team up by 8 points but missed the free throw on a 3-point play that exiled Kani to the bench.

Kim then added another trifecta to make it just a 4-point game, 70-66. Makos center Seth Hocking and bruiser Won Joo Jung then came up empty in four trips to the free throw before Kim hit a 45-foot Hail Mary 3-point bank shot to score the final points of the ballgame.

Ol’Aces led the first 35:52 of the match, as national player Dan Barcinas and Jeff Deleon Guerrero took turns puncturing the hoops for the Oleai team.

The team also did a good job in bottling up Makos leading scorer Paul Magcalas, who had just 7 points at that point in the game.

In fact, the only source of offense Makos had came from an unlikely player, Magcalas’ younger brother Richard, who scored all of his 20 points before organizers decided to postpone the match with Ol’Aces clinging on to 40-38 advantage.

Dela Cruz came up big scoring 14 of his 19 points when the game was resumed Tuesday night. He also hauled down 7 rebounds, had a steal and a block. Paul played decoy most of the game but still wound up with 10 points, 3 assists, and 8 steals.

Barcinas was the highpoint man for Ol’Aces with 17 points to go along with his 5 dole outs, 6 steals, and 5 blocks. Kim had a field day from rainbow country, burying four from the land of last resort for 16 points. Deleon Guerrero also added 10 in the loss.

Makos 70 – R. Magcalas 20, Dela Cruz 19, P. Magcalas 10, Magdayao 9, Jung 7, Hocking 4, Magofna 1.

Ol’Aces 69 – D. Barcinas 17, Kim 16, Deleon Guerrero 10, Kani 8, A. Barcinas 7, Tenorio 6, K. Ogumoro 5.

Scoring by halves: 29-34, 70-69.