X-Terminators outlast Ol’Aces

One streak lives on while another one ended Wednesday night in the 2008 FMI Inter-Color Basketball League.

The Advance X-Terminators outlasted Ol’Aces after pulling off a nail-biting 105-103 win in the FMI league’s open division at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Earlier, Ariel Jinang scattered 19 points to lead the Tan Holdings/CTSI Pacers to a 91-83 victory against the Fixers in the master’s class.

It was the X-Terminators’ sixth straight win while ending the five-game winning run of the Sonny Flores-mentored Ol’Aces.

Ol’Aces led by eight points in the final two minutes of the match as Freddy Pelisamen scored six straight points on fastbreak layups.

Andres “Jhun” Estolas Jr., however, countered with an eight-point swing of his own, capped by back-to-back 3-pointers to tie the game, time down to 19 seconds.

After an Ol’Aces missed attempt on the other end, Estolas grabbed the rebound and the speedy guard wisely dribbled past his defenders before being fouled with three seconds left in the game clock.

Since Ol’Aces were in the penalty, Estolas was awarded two free throws, calmly making both his charity attempts to give the X-Terminators the lead.

Many time CNMI National Team member Elias Rangamar made a desperation heave at the 3-point area that could have won them the game. Rangamar’s shot hit the rim and nearly went in.

Both teams battled into several deadlocks and lead changes but neither squad led by as much as 10 points in the tightly fought match. Ol’Aces took a 29-23 lead after the first quarter but trailed at 49-54 at halftime.

Estolas erupted for 40 points with 13 coming in the crucial stretch of the fourth period, while Jonathan Lim added 20 markers. Kelvin Fitial and Gyles Ruluked added 12 apiece, while Lerio Pagarao chipped in 11 more.

The loss put to waste Pelisamen’s and Jericho Cruz’s game-long exploits as they combined for more than half of Ol’Aces’ points. Cruz finished with a team-high 38 points, while Pelisamen tallied 30 markers.

Abong Camacho ended up with 15 points, while Rangamar netted 10 also for Ol’Aces, which missed the scoring savvy and inside incursions of Jack Lizama, Marvin Rabauliman, and Pete Iguel.

Lizama and Rabauliman had an off night combining only for 10 points for Ol’Aces, while Iguel failed to suit up for unknown reasons.

In the first game, Jinang scored 14 of his team-high 19 markers to lead the Pacers to a 91-83 decision against the hard-luck Fixers.

The Fixers were very much into the game and trailed only by four, 59-63, after three quarters but could not come up with a decent rally that could have ended their five-game losing skid. The win improved CTSI’s record to 2-3.

Ferdie Tobias and Adonis Macoto contributed 16 and 15 markers, while Jimmy Salazar and Justin Solimdum chipped in 12 and 10 apiece also for the Pacers.

Art Salazar paced the Fixers with 20 points, while Boy Garcia, Yasu Irinaka, George Villasan, and Ferdie Dela Torre added 14, 13, 12, and 11 markers.

Today’s game will have GEC Pawnshop battling the Taga Warriors in the 6:30pm opener in the masters division, while the TASI Tours Giants clash with SMF Seabridge in the second game in the open category.

On Sunday, Shirley’s Coffee Shop will try to end a two-game slide when it battles a struggling Star Water side in the 3pm first game, while the Pacers will test Bank of Saipan in the second match.

The X-Terminators will gun for their seventh straight win when they go up against the Price Costco Storemasters in the 6pm nightcap.

CTSI Pacers 91 – Jinang 19, Alcantara 16, Opone 15, Salazar 12, Solidum 10, Dimaano 8, Galag 5, Garcia 4, Ramoran 2.

Fixers 83 – Salazar 20, Garcia 14, Irinaka 13, Villasan 12, Dela Torre 11, Berline 8, Johlend 2, Nepaial 2, David 1.

Scoring by quarters: 24-15, 43-38, 63-59, 91-83.

Advance X-Terminators 105 – Estolas 40, Lim 20, Fitial 12, Ruluked 12, Pagarao 11, Capalad 4, Dayrit 4, Artates 2.

Ol’Aces 103 – Cruz 38, Pelisamen 30, Camacho 15, Rangamar 10, Lizama 8, Rabauliman 2.

Scoring by quarters: 23-29, 54-49, 74-72, 105-103.