PIC, PSS toy with foes in business caging

Pacific Islands Club-Saipan and the Public School System toyed with their respective rivals in the continuation of Inter-Commercial Business Basketball League 2015 Tuesday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Pacific Island Club Saipan’s Jack Quitugua, left, gets past the defense of Saipan Ice & Water’s Ben Olopai to score on a layup in their game on Tuesday night in the Inter-Commercial Business Basketball League at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (Jon Perez)

PIC recorded another easy victory, a 103-48 decision over the hapless Saipan Ice & Water side, to grab the early lead in the 10-team field, while PSS debuted with a 74-46 thrashing of Saipan Stevedore.

PIC exploited all of its advantages—height, heft, and speed—to pull away early in the first quarter and just coasted to victory allowing coach Noel Verder to utilize his bench and experiment with his roster and giving his starters the needed rest.

Verder used 11 players on his 12-man roster.

But PIC, despite already enjoying an insurmountable lead, was still relentless with their defense—contesting every Saipan Ice ball possession to force a number of turnovers, which they turned into points.

PIC’s 55-point humbling of Saipan Ice was its second blow-out win after opening the league with a 122-52 mauling of Docomo Pacific last week.

Sam Rossow and Ham Hambros bulldozed their way inside the paint to finish with 17 and 16 points each, while former Shirley’s Coffee Shop teammates Eric Dela Rosa and Sean Rabasto contributed 12 and 10 markers apiece.

Ray Babauta, Darwin Barbo, Bartley Demapan, Jack Quitugua, and James Abuy combined for 40 points also for PIC.

Treat Kaipat scored 14 to pace Saipan Ice’s losing cause while Joel Hernandez and Patrick Rotap scattered 10 points each.

PSS 74, Saipan Stevedore 46
Earlier, Maverick Itibus made 10 points in the second quarter as PSS trounced Saipan Stevedore.

Itibus scored those points when PSS pulled away from a 14-14 standoff in the first quarter and built several double-digit leads that Saipan Stevedore failed to overhaul.

Itibus finished with 24 points to lead PSS’ scoring, while Preston Basa chipped in 19 and Jacoby Winkfield added 13 more.

Ronald Coloma led Saipan Stevedore with 11 markers, while Nathan Kapileo and Mike Olaitiman contributed 10 each.

Action continues tonight at the Ada Gym with Fiesta Resort & Spa taking on Joeten Enterprises in the 6:30pm first game, while Docomo and IT&E collide in the 8pm match.

First Game
PSS 74 – Itibus 24, Basa 19, Winkfield 13, Cabrera 7, Diaz 6, Coldeen 3, Loste 2.

Stevedore 46 – Coloma 11, Kapileo 10, Olaitiman 10, Aldan 6, Acosta 3, Ben 2, Marcelo 2.

Scoring by quarters: 14-14, 36-20, 46-36, 74-46.

Second Game
PIC 103 – Rossow 17, Hambros 16, Dela Rosa 12, Rabasto 10, Babuta 9, Barbo 8, Demapan 8, Quitugua 8, Abuy 7, Aranda 4, Bartolo 4.

Saipan Ice 48 – Kaipat 14, Hernandez 10, Rotap 10, Santy 8, Cayading 4, Olopai 2.

Scoring by quarters: 29-9, 50-23, 76-32, 103-48.