MHS routs SIS in MISO basketball league, 65-26

The Marianas High School Lady Dolphins pummeled the Saipan International School Lady Geckos, 65-26, during the lone game in the 2011-2012 Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization Basketball League last Tuesday at the MHS Gymnasium.

The thought of MHS defending its varsity championship is becoming more and more apparent, as it is now a lock for first place with a flawless 5-0 record. The Lady Dolphins have one more game left in the double-round regular season. The Lady Geckos dropped to a 1-3 slate, losing their last three games after winning their season debut.

Jaime Mendoza caught fire for MHS right after the tip with a string of seven points, while Melody Johnson added six, giving the Lady Dolphins a commanding 19-8 lead after the first 10 minutes of play.

The Dolphins kept it rolling in the second quarter and catapulted ahead at halftime, 37-18. Johnson added six more points in the second quarter push, while Zoe Jewell and Amber Roberts managed just a handful of markers in the first half for SIS.

At the second half, MHS was still unforgiving on defense and contained SIS to six points in the third quarter to pull away, 57-24, with only a quarter left in the one-sided match.

The game was well out of reach by the start of the last period, as SIS was stuffed to one basket in the clutch.

Mendoza top-scored for MHS with 19 points, while Johnson chipped in 18, as the duo outgunned the entire SIS crew. Jewell and Roberts finished with seven points apiece for the Lady Geckos. Only four SIS players made it to the scoreboard with Phalai Frink and Amelia Hudkins contributing six each.

Besides Johnson and Mendoza’s combined 37 markers, MHS also drew a total of 24 points from sisters Jeraldine and Jeralyn Castillo, Rachel Abrams, and Lia Rangamar. Krizandra Gozon and Madeleine Alegre scored two points apiece.

Meanwhile, regular season games in the MISO girls caging will continue today with the second-ranked Saipan Southern High School (2-2) taking on Kagman High School (1-2) in the varsity game at 5:30pm. In the junior varsity match, Southern, which holds a 2-1 record, will battle the winless Kagman (0-2).

MHS 65 – Mendoza 19, Johnson 18, Jeraldine Castillo 10, Abrams 6, Rangamar 4, Jeralyn Castillo 4, Gozon 2, Alegre 2.

SIS 26 – Jewel 7, Roberts 7, Frink 6, Hudkins 6.

Scoring by quarters: 19-8, 37-18, 57-24, 65-26.