By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

DEFENDING champion Saipan Southern High School started its title defense in the MISA High School Basketball League in style notching an impressive 74-60 victory over Mt. Carmel School last Friday in the Marianas High School Gym.
Veterans Bill Babauta and Preston Basa showed their leadership for the Manta Rays drilling crucial baskets, while Southern’s bench had a share in their team’s debut win.
Babauta finished with 24 points, while Basa contributed 14 markers. Jon Tilipao added 11, while backup point guard Ernest Duenas chipped in 10.
Six other Southern players scored two or more points, as only two of its 12 players failed to get on the scoreboard.
Despite playing in the first game of the season, the Manta Rays showed more chemistry and teamwork than the struggling Knights.
The Knights, who missed a lot of key players due to graduation, were lost most of the game, throwing numerous bad passes, fumbling easy layups and missing free throws.
MCS point guards who were supposed to set up plays, ended up being trapped by the Manta Rays’ defense or taking forced shots
In contrast, Southern’s point guard Mike Eclevia, who had only two points, set up his teammates well and gave direction to the Rays with the help of Duenas, who proved to be a reliable backup.
With Southern controlling things early, they took a 16-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Knights rookie Chris Aquino and Aitau Barcinas tried to bring MCS back into the game and had a little success, as back-to-back baskets from Aquino moved them within one, 24-25, with four minutes left in the second half.
But Babauta came to Southern’s rescue leading a 12-5 windup to give the Manta Rays a 37-29 halftime lead. Babauta had seven points in that run.
Southern’s starters played limited minutes at the start of the third quarter and coach Joel Punzalan’s gamble paid off, as his bench led by Duenas stepped up.
Back-to-back baskets by Duenas gave the Manta Rays a 48-31 lead, with 4:29 left in the third period.
MCS’s Steven Kim then led a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 11, with 3:18 remaining in the third quarter.
With less than three minutes left in the third canto, Punzalan began reinserting his starters with Babauta delivering anew.
Babauta’s 3-point play off a foul from Aquino stopped the Knight’s rally. He went on to score six of the Rays’ last eight points in the third period, which ended with Southern leading by 19, 59-40.
The Knights had their biggest lead at 20, 65-45, after a reverse layup from Duenas midway through the fourth quarter.
Brothers Steven and Thomas Kim tried to bring Mt. Carmel back, but the closest they could bring the Knights was within eight, 55-67, with only 1:38 left in the game.
Despite having a slim chance of stealing the game, Steven continued hitting his marks with the last one coming from downtown in the last eight seconds of the match.
But Southern was determined to have the last say, particularly Basa, who seems to have developed a habit of drilling buzzer-beating jumpers.
After Kim’s 3-pointer, Southern inbounded the ball with Basa receiving the pass. He dribbled to their frontcourt and with a second left on the clock pulled off a floater on top of the key, about 30 feet away from the basket adding a punctuation mark to the Manta Rays’ impressive debut.
In the girls’ division, the Lady Knights downed the Lady Rays, 24-17.
Nicole Lebria led the Lady Knights’ victory firing 11 points.
Scores:
Girls’
MCS 24—Lebria 11, Takai 4, De Brum 4, Castro 2, Manalo 2, Ta 2, Calvo 1.
SSHS 17—Echang 4, Cabrera 3, Ke. Babauta 2, Maratita 2, Kaipat 2, Ito 2, Aldan 2.
Quarterscores: 9-6, 11-7, 20-9, 24-17
Boys
SSHS 74—Babauta 24, Basa 14, Tilipao 11, Duenas 10, Taitano 4, Beltau 3, Echon 2, Rogolifoi 2, Ecelvia 2, Masga 2.
MCS 60—S. Kim 18, T. Kim 12, Barcinas 9, Aquino 8, Ignacio 6, Salas 4, Delos Santos 4, White 1.
Quarterscores: 16-8, 37-29, 59-40, 74-60