The young Rollers took control over the game after team players Shane Deleon Guerrero and Dixon Kwon collared 4 points a piece. The Sainas were able to keep them at bay for the last half of the first quarter and Saina’s lone star Dixing Dai scored 7 points all by himself to get his team on the board.
But the Rollers aggressively pushed their dominance in the last two minutes of the game and Deleon Guerrero and William Camacho sealed the quarter shut with a lay up and a jump shot each to pluck the lead from their opposing team by 6 points, 13-7.
The young players entered the second quarter of the game with brave hearts and with the spirit of team work and sportsmanship.
Upon entering the second quarter, team Saina created a strong and immovable defense line against the Rollers to keep them at bay. The Rollers were only able to score a total of 4 points throughout the quarter while Saina’s Tao Yang scored 4 points and the rest of his teammates scored a total of 6 points to fix the damage done in the first quarter and snip it down to one shaky point between the two teams.
By half time the scores were 18-17 with the Rollers still in possession of the lead.
Both teams entered the second half of the game fiercely. Both teams stepped it up a notch with both offense and defense tactics. Saina was able to steal the lead away from the Rollers in the third quarter after star player of the afternoon Dixing Dai scored another 11 points for his home team.
He was able to lift his team past the Rollers by 2 point at the bottom of the quarter, 28-26.
Both teams anticipated the last quarter as the Rollers were not too far behind. The Rollers gave it one last heave together as team and they were able to close the gap made in the previous quarter and slip past the Sainas for the win.
Together the Rollers scored a total of 11 points in the last ten minutes of the game to secure third place in the 15 and under Saipan Rotary Youth Basketball League by 6 points, 37-31.
Scores:
Rollers– D. Kwon 10, W. Camacho 8, S. Deleon Guerrero 6, J. Capuyon 4, I. Malonzo 4, J. Ano 3, T. Pangelinan 2.
Saina– D. Dai 21, T. Yang 4, Z. Wei 2, W. Jiang 2.
