Streak shooter Saralu at helm

Elias Saralu of Department of Public Safety I is burning the nylon in the ongoing 2004 Government Basketball League.

The 5’10” swingman is currently the top scorer in the basketball competition among civil servants with a whopping 34.3 points per game average. His heroics have been key in giving DPS I a respectable 3-1 record.

A far second in the scoring race is Department of Labor’s bull-strong forward Steve Rasa. The former national player is bulldozing his way for 23.6 scores per contest. He, along with center Tim Wesley and point guard Mitch Aaron, have been instrumental in lifting DOL to a second-running 3-0 mark.

Department of Community and Cultural Affairs two-guard Joey Dela Cruz is having the same success in the basketball court as he does in the baseball diamond, averaging a league third-best 22.3 points per outing. DCCA, it seems, has gotten the best from its crew of baseball players and all-time cage greats and is currently pacing the team standings with a 4-0 record.

Last year’s scoring champ Edgar Pangelinan of Commonwealth Ports Authority has gotten more help this year but that doesn’t prevent him from submitting 21.3 points per game. After a slow start, CPA is coming on strong with a .500 mark at 2-2.

Dela Cruz’s backcourt mate, Elias Rangamar, is fifth in the category after going off for 20.3 points per game for DCCA. Dela Cruz and Rangamar are one of three teammates in the Top 10 of the scoring race.

The other duo lighting up the government league is Saralu and pint-sized playmaker Joe Ito. Ito has been a perfect complement for Saralu’s long-range shooting with his quickness and devil-may-care incursions inside the lane. The DPS I guard is good for 20 points a night.

Recently relocated John Palacios is making the most of his homecoming by delivering the goods for Procurement and Supply. The 6’ frontliner is averaging 19.3 markers. But Palacios, older brother Jack, and court general Frank Iglecias have their work cut out for them, as P&S is mired in the cellar with two more teams, having lost all three of its games.

The third pair of teammates to break into the Top 10 is 6’3” velvet touch Taj Van Buren and do-it-all forward Gabriel White of Public Schools System. Van Buren has been a dead-shot from afar and is submitting 19 points per ballgame for the 3-0 PSS, while White is not that far behind with a norm of 17 markers.

Defending champions Northern Marianas College have so far had a rough and tumble season and have only 1-3 record to show after four games. A silver lining in their slow start, however, is the play of 5’5” combo-guard Dave Palacios, who tied White with an average of 17 points per game.

The rest of the teams participating in the 2004 Government Basketball League, with their standings in parenthesis, are as follows: Commonwealth Health Center (2-1); DPS II (1-2); Tinian (0-1), Office of Public Auditor (0-3), and Saipan Mayor’s Office (0-3).

The government league resumed yesterday evening after a weeklong break that had the civil servants make way for basketball and volleyball matches of the 3rd Annual Pacific Rim Youth Goodwill Tournament.