MCS sweeps, SIS three-peats in PSL caging

The Mt. Carmel School Knights completed its amazing run, while the Saipan International School Lady Geckos made it three in a row in the finals of the high school division of the Coalition of Private Schools Sports Association at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

The Knights pieced together a last quarter scoring rally to pull off a 64-54 win over the Grace Christian Academy Eagles in the boys division, while the Lady Geckos foiled MCS’ double celebration scoring a 40-34 decision against the Lady Knights.

Holding on to a 44-41 lead in the opening minutes of the final period, the Knights used a telling 15-3 run to establish a double-digit lead and distance themselves from their opponents.

That proved to be the final knock-out punch that coach Abner Venus is looking for as the Eagles went cold and could not convert at the other end failing to match the Knights’ intensity.

The Knights piled up the points on breakaway fastbreak plays with the outgoing Kristian Aquino grabbing the ball off a number of the Eagles’ missed shots and throwing an outlet pass to fellow senior Joseph White, who in return would issue an assist to either Kim Meon Seong or Kang Sin Yeop at the other end.

What added to the GCA’s woes is the transition and interior defense thrown at them by the Knights as Venus put on a bigger man to guard their main scorers Renato Batallones and Kevin De Leon, who failed to nail the shots that they needed the most.

The win was the 11th straight for the Knights to complete their undefeated season. The Knights slaughtered the Calvary Christian Academy Sharks, 112-21, to earn the first finals berth, while the Eagles stunned 2007 champion Marianas Baptist Academy Stormz, 58-45, in the other semis match.

Aquino, who was held to two points in the opening period, paced the Knights with 23 points. He scored 14 points in the second period as MCS took control of the match.

White backed him up with 13 markers while Kim and Kang scattered 12 apeice.
De Leon led the Eagles’ losing cause finishing with 13 points, while Batallones added 12 more and Dae Won Jeon, who also plays volleyball for GCA, had a respectable 10 markers in his first season in basketball.

Earlier, Madison Smith and Melissa Halaby put on a two-pronged attack to help the SIS Lady Geckos score a 40-34 decision against the Lady Knights.

The win completed the Lady Geckos bid to claim their third straight crown while again foiling the Lady Knights’ own title bid.

They also prevented in what could have been a twin celebration for MCS after the Knights defeated the Eagles, 64-54, in the boys division.

Halaby and Smith both finished with 13 points, while Hae Jin Kim chipped in eight markers, all putbacks in the fourth period.

Noelle Calvo led the Lady Knights with 12 points but missed eight free throws, most of which in the final period where they were trailing by three. Nicole Lebria and Jessica Takai added seven each.

SIS 40 – Halaby 13, Smith 13, Kim 8, Jewell 4, Roberts 2.

MCS 34 – Calvo 12, Lebria 7, Takai 7, Lebria 3, Manglona 2, Ta 2, Manglona 1.

MCS 64 – Aquino 23, White 13, Keong 12, Kim 12, Ha 3, Che 1.

GCA 54 – Deleon 13, Batallines 12, Jeon 10, Phan 6, Sakamoto 4, Sandig 4, Pascua 3, Taylor 2.