By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.
Horizon news staff

Koror Elem. School Team A leaned on the endgame heroic of Bedal ‘Terry’ Teruo and won its fifth straight title in the 2007 Elementary School Basketball Competition.
Teruo scored on a heart stopping put back with 4.3 seconds left in the game that sealed the Stars’ 62-60 win over the Kings in their championship duel that stunned a big and deafening crowd at the Palau National Gymnasium.
Before that, SDA’s Aoi Taiko made it 60-all with seven ticks to go and the Stars did a quick inbound that saw team captain Ongor Kebekol going straight for a lay-up but his shot hit the rim.
Luckily enough, the big guard Teruo saved the day for the Stars and prevented the match into overtime.
The Kings immediately called for a time out and set a play but failed on their last offensive thrust as Cliver Rafael’s desperation try from long range was way within the basket.
The Stars’ coach Alex Meltel lauded his boys’ effort this season.
"This is my best team for the last five years. We are the champions for those five years," he said.
Kbekol led the Stars with 17 points while Teruo finished with 12.
But the Kings deserved to be this year’s runner-up as well as being given the sportsmanship award trophy.
Earlier on Friday April 13, the Kings, who were previously undefeated before the championship game, defeated GBH B in overtime, 68-59, in the playoff.
KES A, on the other hand, on Monday April 16 advanced via a 62-50 victory over Meyuns Elem. School in the other play-off match.
On Tuesday April 17, the Meyuns Dolphins settled for third place by edging out GBH B, 53-52.
Bow made the marginal three-point shot in the endgame and finished with just five points, the first two from the second quarter of play.
Siegal led the Dolphins with 15 while Tebedel led the Smuuch with 28.
The annual competition was jointly sponsored by Senator Santy Asanuma and Michael Ongalibang of the Substance Abuse Program.
Asanuma, who witnessed the tough and tumble game, said he just wanted to stress that sport is not just for the sake of a game in basketball but it is "a belief that through sport the kids can stay away from tobacco, alcohol and drugs."
"Sports is important in community," he said.