The game started out with heat between the teams already as they tried their best to show sportsmanship during the jump ball of the game. However, almost all sportsmanship was lost between the teams and also the spectators as many arguments arose from both the benches and the bleachers. Team Hi-5 snatched the driver’s seat of the game as team player Kelvin Bernardo steadily bagged 9 points to annex a flimsy 1 point lead over team IT&E. Bernardo, later on in the game, was able to score 24 points over all.
In the second quarter of the game, the bleachers supporting team IT&E got feisty as Bernardo again repeatedly scored 7 points for his team in hard core determination to widen that weak lead.
Louis Abuel and Dave Sablan jumped into the wagon and bagged 7 points a piece for Hi-5. This infuriated team Hoegaarden and the started fouling team Hi-5 repeatedly.
In the last 5 minutes of the game, Abuel and teammate Bernardo scored another 6 points a piece as the game entered its second over time.
In the last 5 minutes of the game Bernardo and Elmer Esdrelon lost their heat as they went at it with each other causing both teams a technical. This also received a lot of angry comments from the spectators as the referees and coaches tried to calm their players and spectators down.
Scores:
Hoegaarden- E. Esdrelon 18, B. Berline 18, B. Aquino 16, J. Guiab 11, M. Capalad 10.
Hi-5- L. Abuel 25, K. Bernardo 24, E. Santos 17, D. Sablan 12, B. Demapan 8.
The Board of Directors of the Basketball Association of the Northern Mariana Islands met this afternoon to consider matters arising out of an incident which occurred during the closing minutes of last Friday’s Budweiser Basketball League semi-final game between IT&E and Hi-Five.
The Board decided that it wished to review additional information regarding the incident before making a decision as to any possible disciplinary action against the players involved.
For this reason, the Board decided to postpone the Championship Game, now scheduled for Monday, September 13, until Wednesday, September 15, at 7:00 p.m.
The Board will meet today, at a time and place to be determined by President Elias Rangamar, to consider the matter and to render its decision.
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