Fateful loss helps MHS win

Marianas High School?s Ignacio Borja drives to the baseline against Kagman High School?s Jason Lampkin during their title game in the MISO caging early this month at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (ROSELYN B. MONROYO)

Coach Preston Basa of Marianas High School was thankful they missed a perfect record in the 2013-2014 Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization Boys Basketball League.
He was, believe it or not.

The Dolphins had their winning run snapped by Kagman High School during the winner’s bracket semis game at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium more than a week ago. Basa’s wards, who swept the double-round robin regular season and prevailed in their first playoff game, lost the outright finals ticket to the team they defeated twice in the preliminary phase of the MISO caging. The Dolphins suffered a bad beating, as the Ayuyus took a 23-point winning margin, 70-47.

With the upset, MHS dropped to the loser’s bracket and had to beat back-to-back champion Tinian High School in a rubber match and Kagman twice to clinch the varsity championship.

“The loss was humbling and was a good opportunity to teach the boys that basketball is not all about skills. You can’t show up a few minutes before the game and expect to perform to the best of your ability. It showed the team that we were not unbeatable,” said Basa.

“Most of the boys showed up a few minutes before the start of the game. We were not able to do our warm-up drills which affected the routine of our team. The boys were not mentally prepared and it showed throughout the game,” the MHS mentor added.

Although he noted his players’ failure to show up for the semis match early as one of the culprits in the shocking loss, Basa also accepted responsibility for their lackluster performance.

“I take part of the blame because I could have done a better job coaching. I was just caught off guard with the way the game was going,” the rookie coach added.

Basa and company went on to lick their wounds and fight fatigue to avoid a total collapse at the hands of the hard-fighting Ayuyus. The Dolphins won Game 1 of the finals, 53-43, to force a deciding Game 2.

“After Game 1, the boys were tired, but the thought of being one game closer to winning the championship gave them the energy and motivation to pull through. We were confident that we could win again. A lot of players stepped up in the first game and gave opportunity to our starters to rest for Game 2,” Basa said.

The Dolphins won Game 2 in an exciting fashion, 37-36. Mike Arciaga played hero in title-clinching game, making a putback off a miss from Kobe Mendoza in the closing seconds of the do-or-die match.

“It was a scary win and I am glad the boys remained focused in the closing seconds of Game 2,” said Basa, who also took note of Mendoza’s block against Jesse Santos’ desperation trey and MHS’ preemptive foul earlier.
“In the closing minutes, I told them to stay focus and not to feed in into the crowd. We had to work as a team to win the game and did not need anyone to try and do too much. I told them to trust one another and have confidence in their teammates,” said Basa, who will have several players returning next season to defend their crown.