Southern sweeps GCA in MISO boys caging

 The Saipan Southern High School Manta Rays defeated the Grace Christian Academy Eagles, 77-37, during last Friday’s game in the  2011-2012 Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization Boys Basketball League at the the Marianas High School Gymnasium.

The second win in as many games put Southern on top of the team standings, tied with MHS. GCA is still winless after two matches.

Friday also marked MISO’s first junior varsity pairing for the season and the Rays also came away victorious, 31-13.

The Rays established an early 15-5 lead in the opening 10 minutes of the varsity match.

A three-pointer by Southern’s Clarence Sablan provided the cushion late in the period.

GCA hung around early in the game, but SSHS found its rhythm in the second quarter and pulled away at halftime, 37-13. The Rays shut down GCA’s captain Angelo Salas in the second frame and capitalized on a couple of late treys on the other end.

Southern then overwhelmed the Eagles after the pause and amassed a 65-23 lead, heading into the final period.

Rays captain Jack Aranda led the charge with 12 points, while speedster Jaymark De Guzman added six. Salas did a good job spreading the ball around in the third quarter, but could not get his own shots to drop.

The game was out of GCA’s reach by the start of the fourth quarter and Southern’s Nevin Salem came off the bench and added six points for good measure.

Aranda led three teammates in double digits with 21 points, while Salas finished with a baker’s dozen.

In the junior varsity game, Southern held GCA to just one point for three quarters and boasted a 17-1 lead, heading into crunch time.

Southern’s Emerson Feria delivered eight of the Rays’ 14 points in the first half. GCA was shut out in the opening period and managed only a free throw in the second quarter.

The Eagles were blanked again in the third frame, but contained Southern to only a couple of baskets and had a chance to mount a comeback in the final period.

GCA’s offense finally showed signs of life late in the game, but the Rays’ Edelberto Javier III brought home the win with six points in the clutch. Feria led Southern with 10 markers and he and Javier combined for 19 in the contest.

Jomari Smithee scrambled for a team-high seven points during GCA’s late surge.

Junior Varsity Game

SSHS 31 – Feria 10, Javier III 9, Camacho 6, Cruz 2, Acopiado 2, Ferrer 2.

GCA 13 – Smithee 7, Ha Lee 3, Hernandez 3.

Scoring by quarters: 8-0, 14-1, 17-1, 31-13.

Varsity Game

SSHS 77 – Aranda 21, Sablan 12, DeGuzman 10, Salem 10, Hofschneider 7, Tudela 6, Escalada 5, Mariano 4, Alegre 2

GCA 37 – A. Salas 13, Woo 10, J. Salas 6, Libut 4, Borja 2, Lee 2.

Scoring by quarters: 15-5, 37-13, 65-23, 77-37.