Pelisamen gets Finals MVP award

Ghasias Brothers’ Freddie Pelisamen drives and draws a foul from Raymond Velasco during their semis game in the DLX caging early this month at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Freddie Pelisamen ran away with the Finals MVP plum in the 2014 DLX Invitational Basketball League after leading Ghasias Brothers to a 107-88 finals win over Ali’i last Saturday night at the Gualo Rai Basketball Court.

Pelisamen fired 52 points in the winner-take-all finale, his second biggest output in the league and not best as earlier reported. He dropped 34 in the first half alone to give Ghasias Brothers control of the match at halftime, 55-43, after the opposing teams engaged in deadlock in the first half, 21-21. The former CNMI Men’s National Team member caused problems to Ali’i’s defense all night, as he hit baskets everywhere and scored in streaks. He had a string of 7 markers in the first and second periods before ending the half with 10 straight points. The Ghasias Brothers’ gunner then nailed 6 consecutive points in the third before scattering 8 more in the fourth frame.

With his 52 points in the championship match, Pelisamen averaged 47.3 points in the last three games of Ghasias Brothers. He drained 41 points in their 94-81 semis win over Ali’i and then exploded for 49 markers in their second semis victory against Flip Top. Before the playoffs, he scored a season-high 54 points in their knockout win against the Bandits, 79-78.

Meanwhile, the regular season MVP award went to Ali’i’s Nate Mateo. The Ali’i quarterback helped his team earn a perfect record in the round-robin regular season and automatically advance to the semifinals, joining SSFM.

Besides calling the shots for Ali’i with former MVP Kobee Mendoza, Mateo also contributed to the squad’s offense, nearly averaging in double figures. The former Marianas High School guard had his best game this season against Flip Top during the battle for the last finals berth. Mateo drilled 17 points in their come-from-behind 79-75 win, logging 13 of them in the fourth quarter, as he outscored the entire Flip Top crew in the payoff frame.

Both Mateo and Pelisamen were awarded with trophies after the finals game. Also recognized during the awards ceremony were the members of the Mythical Team. The elite group is composed of Flip Top’s Mike Arciaga and Jun Estolas, Ghasias Brothers’ Gyles Ruluked, SSFM’s Derrick Aguon, and Ali’’s Errol Peredo. Completing the list of individual awardees this season was Ghasias Brothers’ Ben Pelisamen, who took the Best Coach trophy.