Koblerville-1, GTC-1 still on top; Tinian sweep opener

A Tinian Elementary School player looks for a teammate to pass the ball to as she faces a Grace Christian Academy defender during their game in the co-ed elementary division of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League 2022-2023 Season last Saturday at the Marianas High School Gymnasium. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Koblerville Elementary School-1 and Gregorio T. Camacho ES-1 are still unbeaten, while Tinian ES was impressive it its debut, as the co-ed elementary division games in the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League 2022-2023 Season continued last Saturday at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.

Koblerville-1 improved to a 3-0 record for the lead in Pool A following a 30-20 victory over Gregorio T. Camacho ES-2. GTC-1 also had a double-digit win over Saipan International School-2, 30-0, to for a 3-0 mark and the solo lead in Pool B. Tinian, on the other hand, had a pair of matches in its season debut  and prevailed in both, beating Grace Christian Academy, 16-6, and Kagman Elementary School, 13-5.

Tinian had five different players making it to the board to down Kagman. The Marlins had a good start, but misfired in the second half, failing to score to drop their season opener. For Tinian’s second game, the visiting team had another balanced offense to top GCA. Three Tinian players made at least two baskets apiece to outclass the Eagles, who kicked off their campaign this season with a 26-7 triumph over Rota’s Sinapalo Elementary School.

GCA, Tinian, Sinapalo, Kagman, and Brilliant Star School are in Pool C of the round-robin regular season.

In Pool A, Logan Daniel sizzled for 20 points to lift Koblerville-1 to a 10-point win against GTC-2. The Koblerville-1 and GTC-2 tiff was a nip-and-tuck game in the first half with the opposing teams in a deadlock, before Daniel took over in the second. Daniel made 14 markers in the second half.

In other Pool A games, William S. Reyes ES-1 edged Garapan ES-2, 13-12, while SIS-1 got an easy win over San Vicente ES-2 (forfeit).

WSR-1 built enough cushion in the first half, leading GES-2, 8-2, to survive the Mallards’ rally in the second. WSR-1 is also unbeaten in Pool A with its 2-0 slate.

In Pool B, Dayton Marchadesch and Debron Saures scored 10 points apiece to lead GTC-1’s rout of SIS-2 and give their team a perfect 3-0 record.

Not far behind GTC-1 at second place in Pool B are WSR-2 and Koblerville-2. WSR-2 hammered San Vicente-1, 19-1, for a 2-1 mark, which Koblerville-2 matched following a similar 21-5 demolition of GES-1.

Four Koblerville-2 players delivered at least two baskets apiece for the Umangs to whip the hapless GES-1, which failed to buy a single field goal in the one-sided match. In another lopsided affair, Elijah Taman made 8 points to hand WSR-2 the easy victory against San Vicente.

In Pool C, BSS and Kagman managed to take home a win in their season debuts last weekend. Brilliant Star defeated Sinapalo, 10-4, while Kagman outdueled BSS in the last match of the day, 14-8.