Fiesta outlasts PSS in overtime

 Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan completed a sweep of its last seven games after surviving PSS/McGraw-Hill in overtime, 86-82, during the curtain raiser in the 3rd Annual Shirley’s Coffee Shop Invitational Basketball League last Tuesday night at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

Fiesta finished the round-robin regular season with a 7-2 record for third place in the team standings behind Mobil (7-1) and DFS Galleria, which also ended the elimination round with a 7-2 slate, but won the tiebreak with the former due to the winner-over-the-other rule.

PSS was held to only one field goal in the first 4:42 of the extension period and missed its last three attempts from downtown to finish the elimination round on a three-game losing skid. Fiesta had only two field goals in overtime, but sealed the win from the foul line, going 6-for-8, to post the longest winning streak in this season at seven.

Gus Palacios made PSS’ first basket in overtime, while Ivan Devero connected on a coast-to-coast drive and was 3-for-4 at the stripe and Bruce Berline nailed a fade-away jumper to give Fiesta an 84-78 lead, with only 40 seconds left in the extension.

Dave Sablan made it a five-point game, 84-79, when he was fouled from the 3-point area and went 1-for-3 from the foul line. Sablan then redeemed himself from the two missed foul shots when he stole Elmer Esdrelon’s cross court pass to Joyner and drained a triple, moving PSS within two, 82-84, 18.2 seconds to go in the match.

PSS then gave up a quick foul, but sent the wrong guy to the 15-foot line, as Esdrelon calmly sank the pair, upping Fiesta’s lead to four, 86-82. PSS had 16.8 seconds to either make a quick two-pointer or a triple to remain afloat and it opted for the latter, but muffed all three attempts as time expired.

PSS lost the game despite controlling the match in the first half and in the first four minutes of the third canto. PSS was on top at halftime, 40-37, and led by as much as eight in the opening minutes of the third period before Fiesta had a 14-4 windup in the last six minutes of that canto for a 62-51 advantage.

At the start of the fourth quarter, PSS launched an 8-0 blast to get back in the game and then regained the lead, 70-69, off Kelvin Fitial’s triple, 2:06 remaining in the match.

John March Ong had a split to tie the game and Devero put Fiesta back on top with his layup for the 74-70 cushion, which was sliced to one, 73-74, after Sablan connected on a triple and Devero faltered on his two free throw shots, 58.6 seconds left in regulation.

Mendez made a baseline drive to steal the lead, but Devero answered with a daredevil layup for another lead change, 76-75, 44.4 seconds left in the fourth period.

Sablan had several chances to win the game in regulation, but split his charities and failed to draw fouls in the act of shooting on two occasions. Fiesta had two fouls left in the last 2.6 seconds of regulation and used them by fouling Sablan on the ground.

Esdrelon top-scored for Fiesta with 33 points, making 15 of them in the third to lead the team’s rally. Devero and Joyner finished with 12 apiece, while Ernie Moises and Berline added 10 each.

DFS 87, PIC/NVM 79

In the second game, DFS Galleria ended the elimination round on a positive note with an eight-point win over defending champion Pacific Islands Club/NVM.

DFS had a jackrabbit start behind Pete Iguel’s 22-point explosion for a 31-20 advantage.

Iguel and company kept the double-digit lead at the break, 50-40, before PIC rallied in the third period and stole the driver’s seat, 64-62. PIC’s defense held DFS to 12 points in the third canto and on offense the former canned three triples and drew contributions from six players to stay in the game.

However, PIC failed to keep its momentum in the fourth canto, while DFS got important baskets from Iguel, Quincy Johnson, Won Joo Jung, and Junar Guiab in the homestretch to escape with the win.

Iguel led DFS with 34 points, while Johnson and Jack Lizama finished with 15 and 13, respectively. Peter Lizama and James Abuy paced PIC with 19 markers each.

Meanwhile, the regular season will conclude tonight with a pair of crucial games.

Shirley’s (2-6) will face GPPC (2-6) in the first game at 6pm, while Grillin’ (2-6) will take on Mobil in the second match at 8pm. Shirley’s, GPPC, Wushin, and Grillin’ are battling for the two remaining playoff spots. Wushin holds a 2-7 record and if Shirley’s wins and Grillin’ loses, the host will advance, while there will be a three-way deadlock for the eighth and last playoff seat with the former winning the tiebreak as it beat both GPPC and Grillin’ in the regular season.

First Game

Fiesta 86 – Esdrelon 33, Devero 12, Joyner 12, Moises 10, Berline 10, Ong 7, Talania 2.

PSS/McGraw-Hill 82 – Sablan 24, Fitial 22, Villacrusis 13, Itibus 8, Palacios 4, Mendez 4, Cabrera 4, Villagomez 2, Lee 1.

Scoring by quarters: 14-17, 37-40, 62-51, 76-76, 86-82.

Second Game

DFS Galleria 87 – Iguel 34, Johnson 15, Lizama 13, Barcinas 7, Guiab 6, White 4, Jung 4, Larrioza 2, Chavez 2.

PIC/NVM 79 – Lizama 18, Abuy 18, Barbo 14, Aquino 8, Yabut 7, Tamayo 7, Fernando 5, Diaz 2.

Scoring by quarters: 31-20, 50-40, 62-64, 87-79.