Grace Christian Academy team members pose for a photo after winning the girls middle school division championship of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League SY23-24 at the MHS gym on Saturday.
Grace Christian School’s Aaleyoh Fatialofa drives through two Dandan Middle School defenders during the girls middle school division championship game of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League SY23-24 at the MHS gym on Saturday.
GRACE Christian Academy capped a dominant season by trouncing Dandan Middle School, 28-6, in the girls middle school division championship game of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League SY23-24 at the Marianas High School gym on Saturday.
What separated GCA from the rest of the competition was the skill and determination of Aaleyoh Fatialofa, who towered over defenders and scored 10 straight points in the first half.
DMS’ Shaenna Yamada and Rhodalyn Zandueta contributed a bucket each, but GCA’s Navaeh Camacho scored five points, including a triple while Fatialofa delivered five more points to give GCA a comfortable lead, 20-4.
In the second half, DMS tightened their defense and denied most of GCA’s shot attempts, but they also missed several shots and only Sireane Deleon Guerrero could find the bottom of the net.
Toward the last five minutes of the game, the rest of the GCA bench joined the onslaught. Camacho added another bucket while Aiyana Fatialofa finished strong with back-to-back makes to solidify the win over DMS, 28-6.
Assistant coach Trevor Repp and GCA sophomore Azzy Fatialofa led the team to victory in the absence of head coach Fred Fatialofa. “They played really well as a team — they really persevered and learned how to play as a team,” Repp said.
The team was undefeated for this season because its players worked on fundamentals and were able to bring the ball down the court securely, Repp added.
Azzy Fatialofa said being able to watch her younger sisters win a title is a special moment of its own. “I’m honestly really proud of them. As sisters, they already have that chemistry on the court so…I’m happy as a big sister,” she said.
