By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

The Manta Rays of Saipan Southern High School ended the regular season of the MISA High School Basketball League with a perfect 6-0 record, while the Lady Ayuyus of Kagman High School are a win away from a sweep.
The Rays swept the regular season after slipping past the Ayuyus last Friday, 79-71, at the Marianas High School Gym, while the Lady Ayuyus improved to a 5-0 record after downing the Lady Rays, 60-41.
As in its past two wins against Mt. Carmel and the MHS Dolphins, Southern had to stand its ground against its foe’s late rally in the fourth quarter.
After leading by 10, 57-46, entering the final canto, the Rays slowly lost their grip on the lead.
A 17-7 run in a span of four minutes moved the Ayuyus to within a point, 63-64.
A split free throw by Jon Ada off a Tony Rogolifoi, Jr. foul tied the game at 64-all, with 5:26 left on the clock.
But that was the closest that the Ayuyus could get, as Mike Eclevia, Bill Babauta, Jon Tilipao and Preston Basa drilled timely baskets to foil Kagman’s comeback bid.
The Southern quartet scored a basket apiece in the Rays 8-3 run to give their team more distance, 72-67, entering the final three minutes of the game.
A couple of hurried and missed shots and passing errors hurt the Ayuyus’ chances to return to the game, as they scored only four points in the last three minutes of the match.
Kagman made its one last fight in the remaining 57.9 seconds in the fourth quarter with Southern leading at 74-69 when it called a timeout and set up one big defensive stop.
But their strategy was useless, as after Southern inbounded the ball in midcourt, Eclevia dribbled away from defenders, passed the ball to Babauta, who then threw a crosscourt pass to Preston Basa.
Basa, who was left alone on the sideline opposite the Rays’ bench for a few seconds, looked at the basket and drilled a 3-pointer sealing Southern’s win.
Basa finished with 28 points.
Ada led Kagman’s losing cause with 19 points.
The Ayuyus dropped to a 2-3 record and will play their last game on Wednesday against the MHS Dolphins.
In the girls’ division, Glarisha Mabel scored 16 markers to power the Lady Ayuyus to a 19-point win.
Mabel, who was scoreless in the first quarter, waxed hot in the second and third quarters.
After the Ayuyus were down by six at the end of the first quarter, 12-6, Mabel teamed up with Chelsea Ruluked in leading their team back into the game in the second canto.
She and Ruluked had eight points each in the second period, as the Ayuyus successfully stole the lead, 32-17. Kagman never looked back from thereon.
With the loss, the Lady Rays finished the regular season with a 1-5 slate. Their lone win was against MHS.
Scores:
Girls:
KHS 60—Mabel 16, Ruluked 14, Falig 9, Repeki 7, Rafael 4, Reyes 4, Pagcu 2, Bennett 2, Diaz 2.
SSHS 41—Kr. Babauta 12, Cabrera 7, Jacob 6, Villagomez 5, S. Mararita 4, Sikyang 4, Ke. Babauta 2, Ito 1.
Quarterscores: 6-12, 32-17, 44-32, 60-41
Boys:
SSHS 79—Basa 28, Diaz 10, Babauta 9, Tilipao 6, Duenas 4, Taitano 4, Eclevia 4, Beltau 4, Maga 4, Echon 3, Blesoch 3.
KHS 71—Ada 19, Moses 13, Chariton 12, Teregeyo 11, Matagolai 8, Concepcion 7, Tellei 1.
Quarterscores: 12-14, 31-36, 57-47, 79-71