By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

IVAN De Vero drilled a jumper in the dying seconds of the game against Mt. Carmel School to give Marianas High School a nerve-wracking 82-81 win in the MISA High School Basketball League last Wednesday at the MHS Gym.
The victory helped the Dolphins bounce back from a disappointing 91-76 loss to Saipan Southern High School last Friday and improved MHS’s record to 3-2. All the Dolphins’ losses were at the hands of the Manta Rays.
Last Friday, the Dolphins wasted a 12-point lead in the last four minutes of the fourth quarter and totally collapsed in the extension period losing the chance to get even with Southern.
Against the MCS Knights, it was MHS’s turn to recover and steal the win.
The Dolphins were down by three, 80-77, with less than a minute in the game, when Kevin Aldan nailed a triple to tie the game at 80-all. The 3-pointer was Aldan’s first basket since the opening quarter. The MHS gunner also fired a triple in the first quarter, but was scoreless in the second and third periods.
After Aldan’s game-tying basket, Mt. Carmel got possession and set up its play. Rodney Salas drew a foul on his way to the basket, but split his charities giving the Knights a precarious one-point lead, 81-80.
With eight seconds left on the clock, the Dolphins rushed to their frontcourt and went for the winning basket. Gary Phillip spotted De Vero a few steps away from the right side of the free-throw line and the latter buried the game-winning basket.
With 0.4 left after De Vero’s big shot, there was no way the Knights could pull off a decent shot keeping Mt. Carmel winless in five games.
Jayvan Tarkong topscored for MHS with 21 points, while Jomar Tumaquip chipped in 12 markers. De Vero and Jericho Cruz finished with 11 points each, while Zack Tudela added 10.
Aitau Barcinas led the Knights with 5 points, while Steve Kim contributed 20.
With Kim and Barcinas finding their marks early, Mt. Carmel controlled the game in the first three quarters.
It led by five at the end of the first period, 26-21, with Barcinas and Kim combining for 14 points.
Barcinas added seven more points in the second quarter, which ended with Mt. Carmel still in the lead, 38-36.
Barcinas continued to lead the Knights in the second half firing seven markers in the third period.
Mt. Carmel entered the final canto with a four-point lead, 60-56 and hung on to the driver’s seat in the last minute of the match before losing the game because of De Vero’s jumper.
In the girls’ division, the Lady Knights asserted their might against the Lady Dolphins nailing a 56-49 win. The Lady Knights also prevailed in their first meeting with the defending champions, who dropped to a 1-4 record.
Nicole Lebria paced the Lady Knights with 17 points.
Laliane Pagarao led the Lady Dolphins’ losing cause drilling 18 markers.
Scores:
Girls
MCS 56—Lebria 17, Calvo 9, De Brum 8, Takai 6, Manalo 4, Manglona 4, Tenorio 2, Castro 2, Ta 2, Salas 2.
MHS 49—Pagarao 18, Agbanlog 10, Paez 8, Jang 5, Ermitanio 4, Diaz 4.
Quarterscores: 4-12, 19-18, 39-34, 56-49
Boys
MHS 82—Tarkong 21, Tumaquip 12, Cruz 11, De Vero 11, Tudela 10, Brant 9, Aldan 6, Phillip 2.
MCS 81—Barcinas 25, S. Kim 20, Maliaman 9, Ro. Salas 8, Delos Santos 7, Ri. Salas 6, T. Kim 3.
Quarterscores: 21-26, 36-38, 56-60, 82-81