MCS beats Agape in early rematch

Mt. Carmel School’s Mark Kapileo, center, drives against two Agape Christian School defenders during the fourth quarter of their middle school game in the COPSSA caging yesterday at the ACS court in Middle Road. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Mt. Carmel School won its early rematch against Agape Christian School, 40-30, yesterday in the middle school division game in the 2016-2017 Coalition of Private School Sports Association Basketball League.

The Knights, who pulled off a 40-38 victory against the Torchbearers in last season’s finale, handed Agape another defeat at Agape’s home turf in Middle Road after a strong fourth quarter.

The fourth period started with MCS and Agape in a standoff, 26-all. The Knights broke the deadlock and gained cushion when they outgunned the Torchbearers, 10-2, in the first four minutes of the six-minute final canto. Mark Kapileo and Marcus Toves had 4 points each in that spurt, while Jeremiah Diaz made the other bucket for MCS. Agape was held to 2 points off one free throw apiece from Tychicus Xu and Yang Chenxuan.

Agape then finally got its first field goal in the quarter from Xu’s followup shot, however Toves countered with his third field goal in that period, while an incomplete 3-point play from Kapileo gave MCS its biggest lead, 40-30, with less than a minute left in the match.

Neither team managed to score after that as the Knights worked the clock, while Agape misfired and made a couple of turnovers against Mt. Carmel’s good defense.

The victory was the Knights’ second in as many games as they also won their season debut last Thursday following a 34-15 rout of Grace Christian Academy at the Eagles’ court on Navy Hill.

Five Mt. Carmel players scored at least 4 points apiece in their 10-point victory over Agape with James San Nicolas and Diaz leading the way with 9 markers each. Kapileo logged 8, while Toves and Raphael Galang recorded 6 and 4, respectively.

Yang Chenxuan paced Agape with his 16 points. He brought the Torchbearers back in the game in the third quarter when he registered 7 points. The third canto started with Agape behind by 5, 17-22, and Chenxuan drilled 7 straight markers against the Knights’ 4 to move his team within two. An undergoal stab from Silas Xu in the closing seconds of the third knotted the count, but the Torchbearers failed to overtake MCS in the end as the Knights had enough firepower left in the fourth canto to win the match.

Agape absorbed its first loss this season. It prevailed in its debut last week after crushing Marianas Baptist Academy, 48-27. Chenxuan also top-scored for Agape in its first victory, tallying 15 points, while Mac Guintu finished in double figures, too with his 12. Guintu was under the weather yesterday and missed their game against MCS.

Meanwhile, action in the middle school caging will resume tomorrow with the Knights going for their third straight win when they take on MBA at the Tigers court in Dandan. Other pairings tomorrow are Agape versus Saipan Community School at the Agape court and Saipan International School against GCA at the SIS turf in As Lito.

MCS 40 —San Nicolas 9, Diaz 9, Kapileo 8, Toves 6, Galang 4, Bartolome 2, Naraja, Salvador 2.

Agape 30 — Chenxuan 16, S. Xu 8, T. Xu 6.

Scoring by quarters: 6-4, 22-17, 26-26, 40-30.