Travilla tows Mt. Carmel to victory

Mt. Carmel School survived a second-half comeback bid by Saipan Southern High School to complete a 52-35 win in the Marianas Interscholastic Sports Organization Basketball League last Saturday at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.

The Lady Knights banked on Jan-Nasia Travilla’s hot shooting all game long to book their second victory in as many games.

The Lady Manta Rays, on the other hand, got their second straight loss after opening up with a 42-27 drubbing of MHS’ junior varsity squad. Southern lost to MHS varsity, 54-14, last Wednesday.

Mt. Carmel School’s Jan-Nasia Travilla dribbles toward her Saipan Southern High School defender during their game in the MISO girls caging last Saturday at the Marianas High School Gymnasium. (Jon Perez)

MCS zoomed to a 10-0 lead early in the first quarter with Travilla and Karleen Reyes alternating in penetrating the Saipan Southern defense.

The Lady Mantas could not buy a basket and were without a field goal for almost seven minutes. Southern finally made it to the board off a split free throw from Serafina Rogoyawa at the 3:44 mark of the first quarter, which ended with Mt. Carmel still ahead by 10, 13-3.

The Lady Knights held Southern to another single digit output in the second period to stretch their lead to 11, 20-9. Turnovers and missed shots piled up for Southern at the start of the second half, while MCS capitalized on every opportunity to erect a 32-13 advantage midway in the third quarter.

With Mt. Carmel threatening to pull away, Rogoyawa and Veronne Babauta tried to save the day for the Manta Rays. They teamed up in a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to single digit, 32-23, with under two minutes left in the third. Notably, Southern made its scoring run when Travilla was sitting on the bench.

Tanika Taimanao then scored back-to-back baskets for Mt. Carmel to keep Saipan Southern at bay at the end of the third, 36-23, while the Lady Mantas again went on an 8-4 exchange to try another comeback, 40-31, midway in the fourth. However, Southern’s score came in trickles in the remaining minutes, while MCS pounced on every fastbreak opportunity to seal the win.

Travilla scattered 21 points to lead the Lady Knights, while Reyes and Taimanao chipped in 16 and 14 markers, respectively. Rogoyawa paced Southern’s losing cause with her 17 points, while Babauta added 12.

In other results, Kagman High School bested SSHS in the junior varsity division, 34-16, while MHS varsity cruised to a 35-11 win over its junior varsity squad.

MCS 52—Travilla 21, Reyes 16, Taimanao 14, Flores 1.

SSHS 35—Rogoyawa 17, Babauta 12, Alferos 5, Mafnas 2.

Scoring by quarters: 13-3, 20-9, 36-23, 52-35.