By James Sablan
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
THE girls middle school division of the PSS-NMIBF IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League SY25-26 kicked off Wednesday afternoon with two dominant performances, as Tanapag Middle School and Francisco M. Sablan Middle School triumphed over their respective opponents in opening games held at the Marianas High School gym.
On the south court, TMS put on a shooting display, dismantling Chacha Ocean View Middle School with ease, 42–14.
TMS set the tone from the opening tip, with Aaleyah Fatialofa and Aliyah Sablan exploding on the offensive end with back-to-back buckets to grab an early lead. They were just as dominant defensively, as Fatialofa’s height allowed her to contest nearly every shot, limiting COVMS to just seven points in the first half. As the starters continued to thrive, the bench also contributed, with Gianna Moses and Rheann Macalinao adding four points each to extend the lead to 21–7 at halftime.
COVMS showed brief signs of life in the second half despite the lopsided score. Havani Deleon Guerrero found the bottom of the net twice, while the rest of their points came from the free-throw line after drawing a couple of fouls.
However, they failed to slow TMS’ momentum as the latter mirrored its first-half output. Fatialofa picked up where she left off alongside Leeya Deleon Guerrero, who orchestrated the offense with nine points, helping push the lead further out of reach and seal the 42–14 blowout victory.
FSM vs HMS JV
A similar story unfolded in the other game, as Francisco M. Sablan Middle School powered past Hopwood Middle School’s junior varsity team, 29–9.
FMS established control early, taking a 13–4 lead into halftime behind Baylyn Mansfield, who scored nine points, including an and-one play. The second half was much of the same, as Mansfield continued her dominance, scoring 16 points — including back-to-back triples — to secure the 29–9 win over HMS JV.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
