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South nips North in Inter-Hotel All-Star
Saipan World Resort’s Eugene Manglona made his presence felt defensively to help Team South beat their Northern counterparts in the first All-Star Game of the 2014 Budweiser Inter-Hotel Basketball League. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
Team South used a third-quarter scoring run as enough cushion to eke out a 93-91 decision over Team North in the first All-Star Game in the 2014 Budweiser Inter-Hotel Basketball League held Friday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
The South All-Stars, trailing by a basket at the half, 40-42, outscored their Northern counterparts in the third to enter the final canto enjoying a 63-56 advantage.
Kanoa Resort’s Matt Duenas and Dennis Vinas of Saipan World Resort combined for 16 of the 23 points made by Team South in the third period.
The Southern All-Stars just weathered every rally made by Team North to complete the win.
James Abuy of Pacific Islands Club scattered 23 points to lead the Noel Verder-coached South squad’s scoring while Duenas contributed 21 markers.
The World Resort duo of Vinas and Jomar Danas chipped in 18 and 17 points each also for the Southern crew.
Hyatt Regency Saipan’s Sahj Hossein paced the Bobby Reyes-mentored Northern side with 23 points, while Fiesta Resort’s DJay Ong and Shirley’s-Century Hotel’s John Jugos poured 20 and 17 markers apiece.
Gino Libuw and Keolani Rios, Hossein’s teammates at Hyatt, added 16 and 13 points, respectively.
The 2014 Inter-Hotel season is set to end this week with PIC and Shirley’s set to dispute the league crown. Organizers have yet to announce the final schedule of the one-game title match, which will be played either Thursday or Friday depending on the availability of both teams and the Ada Gym.
PIC and Shirley’s arranged a knockout championship match after dispatching Fiesta and World Resort, respectively, last Tuesday.
PIC, which finished second to Fiesta after the elimination round, waltzed to an 89-55 victory, while Shirley’s relied on the timely baskets of John Jugos, Erick Dela Rosa and Rommel Usi in the second half in completing a 72-65 upset of World Resort.
South 93 – Abuy 23, Duenas 21, Vinas 18, Danas 17, Lewis 8, Litulumar 4, Manglona 2.
North 91 – Hussein 23, Ong 20, Jugos 17, Libuw 16, Rios 13, Rosokow 2.
Scoring by quarters: 22-19, 40-42, 63-56, 93-91.
