By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

DEFENDING champion Saipan Southern High School pushed the right buttons in its game against Marianas High School last Friday to post its second win in as many games in the MISA High School Basketball League.
The Manta Rays played good defense committing only 12 fouls in the entire game and limited the Dolphins to nine points in the first quarter en route to an easy 84-63 victory.
On offense, the defending champions were also unstoppable as Preston Basa and Bill Babauta had their guns blazing.
Basa exploded for 33 points, shooting six triples, nailing a couple of jumpers and connecting on layups.
Babauta earned most of his 23 points inside, took care of the rebound department and played tough defense on MHS’s big guys.
Even Mike Eclevia, who in the SSHS’s 74-60 debut win against Mt. Carmel was content to feed his teammates, scored in double figures with 12 points.
He had a couple of layups taking advantage of a disorganized MHS Dolphins, who found it hard to play basic basketball in their debut.
The Dolphins made a lot of errors, committed 25 fouls, took too many outside shots, failed to get the ball to their key players, had many one-on-one plays and other booboos, which sometimes caused coaches Mark McDonald and Nick Gross to scratch their heads.
No Dolphins scored more than one field goal in the first quarter and the Manta Rays capitalized on MHS’s lackluster offense to take a 23-9 lead, entering the second period.
With Jericho Cruz, who had limited possessions in the opening period and had only two points, finally getting a few touches of the ball in the second, he scored eight points and helped the Dolphins cut the lead to 11 at halftime, 41-30.
Cruz scored the first two points in the second half, but that was his only basket in the third quarter, as MHS continued to have a poor ball movement and opted for one-on-one plays.
A 13-3 run in a span of four minutes gave Southern a 20-point lead, 60-40, with less than three minutes left in the third period.
Basa nailed the last basket in the third quarter, a 3-pointer and his sixth in the match, to give the Manta Rays a comfortable 70-49 advantage entering the final period.
Basa scored only one point in the fourth quarter, but Southern still secured the win, as MHS could not get their offensive game going.
Only Ivan De Vero and James Sablan scored more than one fieldgoal in the fourth quarter and most of their baskets came when the game was already decided.
Jayvan Tarkong, who was among MHS’s leading scorers last season, contributed 10 points, but he and Cruz had few opportunities to score.
Cruz still topscored for the Dolphins with 14 points, but had only four points in the second half. De Vero chipped in 13 markers.
In the girls’ division, the Lady Dolphins started their title defense with a 45-41 win over the Lady Rays.
Rochelle Ermitanio and Laliane Pagarao nailed 14 and 11 markers, respectively, to give the Dolphins a good start.
With the loss, the Lady Rays dropped to a 0-2 record.
Scores:
Girls
MHS 45—Ermitanio 14, Pagarao 11, Agbanlog 6, Tacliad 6, Palero 2, Jang 2, Diaz 2, Paez 2.
SSHS 41— Echang 14, Cabrera 8, Aldan 5, Jacob 4, Ito 4, Maratita 3, Kaipat 2, Villagomez 1.
Quarterscores: 10-4, 24-15, 32-24, 45-41
Boys
SSHS 84—Basa 33, Babauta 23, Eclevia 12, Duenas 6, Diaz 6, Beltau 3, Rogolifoi 1.
MHS 63—Cruz 14, De Vero 13, Aldan 11, Tarkong 10, Tumaquip 7, Sablan 4, Tudela 3, Taitano 1.
Quarterscores: 23-9, 41-30, 70-49, 84-63