Lakay shakes off 670 Gravity in Lion’s caging

Lakay/Islander center Zeric Gant outjumps a Gravity 670 player on this fastbreak play in their open division matchup in the Inaugural SCLC Basketball League last Saturday at the Gillette Multi-Purpose Gymnasium in Gualo Rai. (MARK RABAGP)

Lakay/Islander crushed a pesky Gravity 670 team, 83-68, in the lone open division game of the Inaugural SCLC Basketball League last Saturday at the Gillette Multi-Purpose Gymnasium in Gualo Rai.

The win leveled the team’s win-loss card at 1-1 following its loss to The Game in the opener. The loss, meanwhile, was the second in as many outings for the young Gravity 67 crew.

Despite taller and heftier than their opponents, Lakay/Islander actually struggled in the first half of the contest. With Joseph Torres making hay while the sun shined from rainbow country, the favored team only took a 2-point lead after 10 minutes of play, 21-19.

Lakay/Islander continued to toy with their food at the onset of the second quarter. With almost all their players missing from long range, Gravity 670 was more than happy to capitalize as the long rebounds led to breakaway layups on the other end. As a result, the little team that could managed to take a 39-38 lead at the half.

All would change though after the break, as Lakay/Islander finally asserted its might inside that led to easy baskets from 6-footers Zeric Gant and D.J. Ong and after three quarters of play they led by double digits, 60-50.

With the winning formula in hand, Lakay/Islander then cruised to victory in the payoff period with little to no resistance from Gravity 670.

Gant led Lakay/Islander in scoring with 24 points with Ong and Jet Jandoc adding 13 points apiece. Torres was the lone bright spot for Gravity 670 with a game-high 26 markers, which matched his jersey number.

In games last Friday, Royal Pacific edged IT&E, 54-50, in the first game. Blu Haus then wiped the floor clean of Super Tech in the second, 83-59, while Marianas Dental Clinic clobbered RNV Construction, 108-56, in the third game.

The day prior on Thursday, the CNMI National Men’s Senior Basketball Team posing as Team Marianas made quick work of Paradise Realty, 87-55. Earlier, HBR Construction took advantage of 670 Gravity’s endgame mistakes to win in a cliffhanger, 79-77.

Lakay/Islander 83 – Gant 24, Ong 13, Jandoc 13, Palacios 12, Capalad 8, Rabauliman 4, Natividad 4, Quan 4, Santos 1.

Gravity 670 68 – Torres 26, Tabora 12, Bernardo 11, Solis 11, Gaviola 4, Agustin 2, Alegre 2.

Scoring by quarters: 21-19, 39-38, 60-50, 83-68.