CNMI cage belles fall to Guam in Micro Cup

CNMI and Guam cage belles are seen here in action in Day 1 of the 2022 FIBA Micronesian Cup yesterday at the UOG Calvo Fieldhouse. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The CNMI Women’s National Basketball Team got a rude welcome from Guam after the host team beat their northern neighbors, 94-46, as the 2022 FIBA Micronesian Cup got going yesterday the UOG Calvo Fieldhouse.

The CNMI cage belles made a game of it in the early goings though and even tied it at 13-all with a 2-pointer from Angel Roligat at the 4:27 mark of the opening quarter. Coach Catherine Attao-Toves’ wards were still in the thick of it in the second and inched closer to Guam, 33-28, following a short stab from E’Anna Won.

Guam, however, went on a 13-3 run after that with Mia San Nicolas scoring 6 points of the total to enter halftime with a 46-31 spread.

The CNMI tried to keep up with the Micro Cup top seeds in the third quarter, but managed only 10 points as opposed to Guam’s 21 markers and trailed by a whopping 21 points, 41-67, entering the fourth and final quarter.

The wheels then totally fell off in the payoff period as the CNMI scored only 5 measly points in the final 10 minutes of the contest to drop its first game of the four-day tourney.

San Nicolas paced Guam with 18 points, while Elysia Perez added 13. Derin Stinnet and Kara Duenas also fired twin digits with 12 and 10 markers, respectively, for the winning team.

The CNMI women’s leading scorers were sisters E’Anna and Ky’Sonna Won who combined for 25 points in a losing cause.

Northern Mariana Islands Basketball Federation president James Lee took the women’s loss in stride, considering the CNMI just went up against the top team in Micronesia.

“I personally feel that our ladies did good against Guam. They held their ground in the first half of the game. We knew going in and challenging Team Guam in the first game was going to be an uphill battle, mainly because they have much more exposure to the game in comparison to our team and in turn more experience.

However, I am happy at what I saw and excited to see how they will bounce back and incorporate what they have learned from this loss to the next game against the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau,” he said.
In the other women’s game yesterday, Palau whipped FSM, 87-17. Results of the opening two men’s games will be reported in tomorrow’s issue of Saipan Tribune.

Guam 94 – San Nicolas 18, Perez 13, Stinnett 12, Duenas 10, Borja 9, Taitano 9, Miranda 6, Han 6, Dacanay 4, Hernandez 4, Paulino 3.

CNMI 46 – E. Won 15, K. Won 10, Alegre 6, Bucalig 6, Roligat 5, Fatialofa 2, Pangelinan 2.
Scoring by quarters: 28-17, 46-31, 67-41, 94-46.