Sunrisers gain share of lead; Andhok’s win

The Sunrisers shone bright in the fourth quarter and kept their momentum in overtime to eke out a come-from-behind 99-94 win over the Navy Hill Gunners in the curtain-raiser of the 2nd Domino Lux International Fraternity/Miller Lite Basketball Invitational Friendship League last Saturday night at the Gualo Rai Basketbal Court.

The victory was the second in as many games for the Sunrisers, putting them in a tie for first place with SCS Heavy Equipment Rental, while Navy Hill dropped to a 0-2 record.

The Sunrisers fell behind by as much as 26 points in the second quarter and was still facing a big deficit at the end of the third canto, 56-74, when they made a rally in the fourth and final frame. The Sunrisers outgunned Navy Hill in the payoff period, 31-12, behind the hot 3-point shooting of Preston Basa, who exploded for 15 points in that quarter and hit four triples.

The former Saipan Southern High School mainstay scored the Sunrisers’ last five points in the regulation to send the game in overtime, while Navy Hill made four free throws in the homestretch to foil the Sunrisers’ bid to win the game outright.

Then in overtime, Basa was scoreless, but Jawn Joyner and Pete Lizama were there to delivered the goods for the Sunrisers. Joyner nailed six straight points, while Lizama added four, as the Sunrisers outscored Navy Hill, 13-8. The Sunrisers’ 13th point came from Josh Sablan’s triple at the buzzer, while Navy Hill had only Marvin Rabauliman making more than one field goal in overtime. Bruce Berline and J.R. Barrios had only one basket each in the extension period.

At the end of the match, the Sunrisers had three players scoring 20-plus points with Joyner having 24 and Lizama and Basa contributing 22 and 20, respectively. The Sunrisers also finished the game with 10 triples, six more than Navy Hill’s total.

Navy Hill drew two treys from Barrios in the opening canto for a 27-19 lead and it continued to dominate the game in the next three quarters behind Rabauliman and Barrios’ baskets before the Sunrisers made the move in the fourth to steal the win.

Rabauliman led Navy Hill’s losing cause with his 24 points.

In the second game, Andhok’s Grille also leaned on its fourth-quarter uprising to clobber defending champion Blue Haus, 92-69.

Andhok’s was ahead by only nine after the third period, 69-60, when it pulled away in the fourth after holding Blue Haus to nine markers in the final canto. Reymark Castro and Gino Libuw led the breakaway, combining for 16 of Andhok’s 23 markers in the fourth frame.

Blue Haus’ nine points in the fourth was its lowest in all four quarters, as its offense slowed down in the last three quarters after a 27-point production in the first. With the loss, the defending champions fell to a 1-1 record, the same mark Andhok’s holds.

Sunrisers 99 – Joyner 27, Lizama 22, Basa 20, Sablan 17, Mendez 4, Deleon Guerrero 2.

Navy Hill Gunners 94 – Rabauliman 24, Barrios 21, Diaz 12, Mungcal 9, Berline 6, Ito 6, Tomokane 6, Gabaldon 6.

Scoring by quarters: 19-27, 38-60, 56-74, 86-86, 99-94.

Andhok’s Grille 92 – Castro 20, Libuw 17, Wesley 14, Artates 13, Capalad 11, Camacho 9, Llagas 4, Umalu 2.

Blue Haus 69 – Esdrelon 17, Camacho 17, Talania 8, Guiab 7, Sharry 6, Itaas 6, Tumaquip 4, Aquino 4.

Scoring by quarters: 24-27, 50-42, 69-60, 92-69.