Hopwood 1 clinches championship

Hopwood Junior High School 1 dominated Hopwood 2 in the finals, 44-21, to bag the girls championship in the 2015 PSS Basketball League yesterday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Hopwood 1 proved to be the team equipped with better fundamental skills in the title match marked with a lot of helter-skelter plays. The eventual champion also had the most outstanding player in the division in Chevy Kate Alipio, who drilled 26 points in the finale to surpass the output of the entire Hopwood 2 crew.

Alipio took charge early, firing 14 points in the first half to power Hopwood 2 to a huge 30-9 advantage over their sister team. To make things worse for Hopwood 2, Alipio found an ally in Christine Nagara in the first 20 minutes of play with the latter also hitting double figures with her 10 markers. Joshalyn Duenas and Lizann Deleon Guerrero also made it to the board in the first half for Hopwood 1, adding 2 markers apiece.

Hopwood Junior High School 1’s Chevy Kate Alipio drives past her Hopwood 2 defenders during the second half of their title game in the PSS caging yesterday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Hopwood had five different players scoring in the first half, but none of them canned more than one field goal in the opening frame. Samantha Francisco, who was held to 2 points in the first half after sizzling for 22 in their 43-27 semis win over Dandan Middle School last week, picked up her scoring in the second, notching. However, those were already garbage points late in the second half as Hopwood 2 never made headway early in that period.

Hopwood 2 also could not fight back in the second half, as it failed to stop Alipio. The Hopwood 1 gunner went on to close the one-sided game with six straight points besides her 4 other markers early in the second half. Deleon Guerrero and Duenas converted the two other baskets for Hopwood 1.

Former CNMI National Team player Connie Camacho coached the champion squad, which is also composed of Deviah Ybanez, Kathleen Gilles, Mayiah Duenas, Tiann Camacho, Brianna and Mary Cabrera, Carl Ballesteros, Edrianne Ganiban, Jessme Jones, Angel Sally, and Jorianne Cabrera.

Meanwhile, Hopwood 1 was battling Chacha Oceanview Junior High School for the boys division championship at press time last night. Results of the boys finale will be reported in Saipan Tribune’s Wednesday edition.

Hopwood 1 44 – Alipio 26, Negara 10, Deleon Guerrero 4, Duenas 4.

Hopwood 2 21 – Francisco 8, Tinio 4, Valino 4, Malasarte 2, Raulrson 2, Santos 1.

Scoring by halves: 30-9, 44-21.