Basketball teams make playoffs trips

Various basketball leagues reached their crucial stages last week, as teams scrambled for playoff seats.

In the masters division of the UFO Docomo Cup, only four teams are left standings with defending champion Cabalen/Wings Travel, MDX/Armatech, PIAHI/VisMinda, and MAFEA/RNV making it to the semifinals. Cabalen gained an automatic semis slot after topping the regular season, while MDX advanced following a victory over SAFSWO. VisMinda marched into the next round after defeating MAFEA/RNV, which later completed the semis cast after eliminating SAFSWO.

In the youth division of the UFO Docomo Cup, MDX also notched a semis berth and was joined by Samahang Ilokano at Pangasinense. Filcag Rollers, and AFP/Jets. SIP was scheduled to face Filcag Rollers in the semis last night, but results of the match were unavailable at press time. The Jets and MDX will duel for the second and last semis pairing this Saturday.

In the UFO Bud Cup, the seven-team playoff round was completed last week with Namfrel/ Proa, UPAA/Docomo Hoops, Cabalen/Noni, Bayan/Mobil, MAFEA-Ali’i Konflikt, VisMinda/Satbahi, and Cavite/Andok’s on the list. NMBA/Mixed Blood and MDX/Blue Haus were eliminated.

Still in basketball, MBI survived Cell Pro and Sherwin Williams in the playoffs of the Blue Haus caging to clinch the first finals berth.

The 2011 Shirley’s Badminton Classic will only start its playoff round this week, but a few pairs had already secured slots to the next round as early as last week.

Angie Ito and Andrew Galvez sealed the first finals berth in the mixed doubles AA after sweeping the round-robin games in the eight-team field. Gary Bandoja and Hannah Choi were assured of semis tickets in the mixed lower A, while Choi and Mario Diola saved a Final Four slot in the mixed doubles 40-and-above.

The women’s division of the 2011 Saipan Soccer School Futsal League did not hold playoff games and after the two-round robin play, Shirley’s A emerged as the champion. Shirley’s A finished the inaugural league with an 11-3-0 record for 33 points, just one marker ahead of runner-up IT&E Awesome.

Other notable events last week was the CNMI Baseball Team’s celebration of its gold medal win in the 2011 Pacific Games, the Mieko Carey bike race fundraiser, and the record-field in the 11th Saipan International School 5K Fun Run.