CNMI misses playoffs in Mini Games 3×3

A Solomon Islands defender, right, keeps a close eye on a Fiji player during their men’s 3×3 game in the 10th Pacific Mini Games last Tuesday night at the Korman Stadium’s Hall 2. Both Fiji and the Solomon Islands defeated the CNMI, which bowed out of competition yesterday after losing to the Cook Islands. (Contributed Photo)

The CNMI bowed out of competition in the 3×3 event in the 10th Pacific Mini Games after dropping its last two games.

Jack Lizama, Preston Basa, Dan Barcinas, and Douglas Schmidt lost to the Solomon Islands last Tuesday night, 2-9, and then fell to the Cook Islands, 12-16, yesterday morning at the Korman Stadium’s Hall 2 in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The Commonwealth cagers finished the round-robin elimination with a 3-5 record and missed the cut. Only the Top 8 squads advanced to the single-elimination playoffs.

The loss against the Cook Islands was a heartbreaker for Team CNMI, as the squad was still ahead by 4, 12-8, with a little over two minutes left when their opponents got the breaks in the game and pulled off the win.

“We had our chance against the Cook Islands, but there were just some bad calls that got them back in the game. Our guys were being fouled, but got no calls,” Elias Rangamar told Saipan Tribune.

Meanwhile, the CNMI’s track team is also done with its competition after Beo Ngirchongor, Zarinae Sapong, and Jamie Pangelinan raced in the 200m run yesterday.

Ngirchongor finished fifth on Heat 2 of the men’s 200m race at the Korman Stadium after clocking in at 24.99 seconds. Papua New Guinea’s Charles Livuan topped the heat with his 22.02 seconds and also qualified to the semifinal round along with Vanuatu’s Steve Lolten, who submitted 22.27 seconds.

Samoa’s Kelvin Masoe (22.19 seconds), PNG’s Nazmie Lee Marai (22.35) and Theo Piniau (22.05), Vanuatu’s Bandy Mento (22.50) and Bradly Toa (22.33), and Fiji’s Aaron Powell (22.02) were the other semifinalists.

In the women’s 200m preliminary races, Sapong was also ranked fifth on Heat 1 after recording 26.65 seconds. She missed the cut in her heat by just one notch, as the Top 4 in her group advanced to the next round. PNG’s Toea Wisil (24.90 seconds) ruled Heat 1 and was followed by fellow qualifiers Serenia Raqatu of Fiji and Vanutu’s Lyza Malres and Christelle Kalopoing, who timed in at 25.85 seconds, 26.20, and 26.65, respectively.

Pangelinan was on Heat 2 and finished sixth after registering 29 seconds. The Cook Island’s Patria Taea (24.64 seconds) topped the heat and was joined in the semifinals by PNG’s Afure Adah (25.00) and Leon Beu (25.95), and Vanuatu’s Judithe Alatoa (26.81).

Only one day is left in the athletics competition and two more in the entire event. New Caledonia still leads the medal tally with its 41 gold medals, 14 silver, and nine bronze. PNG (26-19-18), Fiji (19-17-18), Samoa (15-11-5), and Vanuatu (12-23-17) round up the Top 5.