NMC hands PTI first loss

The power at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium went off for the nth time Friday night, but fortunately the second game in the Inaugural PTI Inter-Government/Business Basketball League was already finished with Northern Marianas College nailing an 87-82 victory over PTI.

A few minutes after the final buzzer sounded, darkness filled the gym, leaving players, officials, and spectators scrambling for their things as they prepared to exit the venue. On Wednesday and Thursday night, games in the PTI caging were called off due to power outage.

At the resumption of the league Friday night, PTI absorbed its first loss in nine games, forcing them to share the lead in the 11-team field with NMC.

NMC’s lone loss was against the Department of Corrections.

The Rufino Aguon-coached NMC held PTI to four points in the first six minutes of the third period to recover from a 47-49 halftime deficit and take the lead at the end of the third period, 71-58.

Guards Jose Tumaquip and Joe Villacrusis helped turn things around for NMC, as they connected on several long jumpers in the third canto.

Tumaquip drilled 11 of his 14 points in the third quarter, while Villacrusis had nine. They made one triple each in the third period and pressured PTI’s guards at the backcourt, preventing their foes to set up its offense efficiently.

Elmer Esdrelon was particularly frustrated by the pesky defense of NMC guards. After firing four triples in the first half, Esdrelon was held to a field goal and two free throws in the third period and was scoreless in the fourth quarter.

PTI tried to regain control of the match in the fourth period behind Kelvin Fitial and Edsel Mendoza, but faltered as it missed important free throws and committed costly turnovers in the closing seconds of the game.

After trailing by as much as 15 points in the fourth quarter 75-60, Fitial and Mendoza moved PTI within four, 79-83, with 59.5 seconds remaining on the game.

PTI muffed its chances to move closer when the ball slipped on Mendoza’s hands in an inbound play.

The next two plays for PTI saw Mendoza and Fitial making trips to the free throw line. But they only went 2-for-4 from the foul line, while Villacrusis handed a perfect inbound pass to Manibusan, who had an easy undergoal stab to give NMC an 85-82 lead.

With 22.3 left in the game, PTI inbounded the ball, but Tumaquip caught Bruce Berline’s pass to Mendoza in the midcourt, setting up Villacrusis for an uncontested layup.

Villacrusis finished with 23 points and was the second leading scorer for NMC. Mark Wallace paced NMC with 33 markers.

Mendoza led PTI with 20 points, while Fitial chipped in 19.

In the first game, defending champion Autonomous cruised to a 91-56 triumph over the Commonwealth Ports Authority.

Bobby Coldeen feasted on CPA’s defense, or the lack of it, exploding for 40 points. Jun Aaron hit five triples and scored 20, while Tim Wesley contributed 18.

Francis Choay topscored for CPA with 17.

CPA kept Autonomous within striking distance in the first period with the former behind by only seven, 13-20.

But Coldeen and Aaron began trading baskets from downtown in the second and third periods to break the game widen open and lift Autonomous to an easy win.
[B] First Game[/B]

Autonomous 91 – Coldeen 40, Aaron 20, Wesley 18, Everly 7, Kapileo 2, Rasa 2.

CPA 56 – Choay 17, Sablan 14, Wenty 11, Smith 9, Camacho 5.

Scoring by quarters: 20-13, 35-26, 62-41, 91-56

Referees: Arnold Mesa, Erick Artillaga.
[B] Second Game[/B]

NMC 87 – Wallace 33, Villacrusis 23, Tumaquip 14, Diaz 6, Manibusan 6, Guerrero 4.

PTI 82 – Mendoza 20, Fitial 19, Renguul 18, Esdrelon 16, Berline 12.

Scoring by quarters: 18-22, 47-49, 71-58, 87-82

Referees: Mike White, Gilbert Espinosa. [B][I](Roselyn B. Monroyo)[/I][/B]