Fiesta Resort, CTSI win debuts

Fiesta Resort & Spa’s Krizel Tuazon, center, loses possession as she goes up against IT&E defenders Karleen Reyes, right, and Gillian Villagomez during the first half of the women’s division game in the TanHoldings holiday caging last Monday night at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan and CTSI delivered in their opening games in the women’s division of the 2016 TanHoldings Christmas Basketball Tournament last Monday at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium.

Fiesta Resort played in the first women’s division tiff and outclassed IT&E, 37-33, while CTSI dominated Shirley’s Coffee Shop in the second match, 58-17.

CTSI had too many offensive options, making it easy for the team to down Shirley’s, which listed only eight players for its first game. CTSI had a full 12-player roster and 11 of them scored in the squad’s 41-point win over the depleted Shirley’s crew.

Former CNMI National Women’s Team player Jeraldine Castillo led CTSI’s balance offense after scoring 10 points. Cass Camacho debuted in the annual competition and matched Castillo’s output, while Chanel Espinosa added 8 and Jaime Pangelinan and Mary Kay Alferos chipped in 6 apiece for CTSI. Three more CTSI players logged at least two field goals apiece, while the four remaining scorers had 2 points each.

As for Shirley’s side, only three players graced the team’s box scores with Rose Jones registering 11 and Rachel Rudela and Camille Muna contributing 4 and 2, respectively.

Jones made all, but two of Shirley’s total points in the first half, while Castillo, Camacho, and Alferos combined for 22 points to lift CTSI to a 32-12 halftime edge.

CTSI went on to pad it lead in the second half as its other players stepped up, while Shirley’s paid the price for having a short-handed lineup as they nailed only two field goals in the final 20 minutes of play.

In the first game, Fiesta’s key players delivered with Irish Pagarao firing 16 points and Chevy Kate Alipio adding 7 in their 4-point victory over IT&E.

Pagarao dropped 11 of her total production in the second half, including 9 straight markers in that period to keep Fiesta in the lead.

IT&E, which has players who suited up for the Mt. Carmel School team that won the high school caging this month, played without gunner Jan Travilla, leaving Karlene Reyes to take the cudgels for the squad. Reyes had a team-high 10 points.

Meanwhile, two more teams will debut in the holiday caging today as CTSI takes on Jingle Ballers in the first women’s match at 5pm and Shirley’s meets Armatech in the 6pm tiff. The two other squads entered in the women’s division—Sun Palace and QQ Rent A Car—will have their first game on Monday against Armatech and Jingle Ballers, respectively.

670 Thunders prevail in game under protest
In the boys U16 division, the 670 Thunders won the game it placed under protest as the Ol’Aces 2 were found to have fielded ineligible players in their game last Monday.

The Ol’Aces 2 routed the Thunders, 85-15, during the opening day of the league, but the victory was nullified as two of the former’s players were over the age limit (should not turn 17 on the duration of the tournament). The Thunders also protested the two other Ol’Aces 2 players who wore blue shorts (only black shorts are allowed).

First Game
Fiesta 37 — Pagarao 16, Alipio 7, Ito 6, Tuazon 2, Phan 2, Lee 2, Joyce 2.
IT&E 33 — Reyes 10, J. Villagomez 5, Flores 4, Manibusan 4, Borja 3, Siram 2, G. Villagomez 2.

Second Game
CTSI 58 — Camacho 10, Castillo 10, Espinosa 8, Pangelinan 6, Alferos 6, Kautz 4, Wally 4, M. Alegre 2, J. Alegre 2, Fabiana 2, Peredo 2.
Shirley’s 17 — Jones 11, Tudela 4, Muna 2.
Scoring by halves: 32-12, 58-17.