The New Chang Ming players pose with the open division championship trophy of the Saipan Centennial Lions Club Invitational Basketball League after defeating the Martech Ol’Aces, 82-77, on Tuesday at the Koblerville gym.
NEW Chang Ming proved doubters wrong as they came out victorious with a second half comeback to stun the favored Martech Ol’Aces, 82-77, and bag the open division championship title of the Saipan Centennial Lions Club Invitational Basketball League on Tuesday at the Koblerville gym.
The Ol’Aces dominated the opening quarter as they focused on what they do best — play defense. Douglas Schmidt’s speed and quick reaction time wreaked havoc as he continuously harassed the ball handler, forcing New Chang Ming to commit a handful of turnovers for easy buckets on the other end.
On offense, he also remained one of the biggest threats as he sliced through defenders with ease and, when the attention was all on him, created shot opportunities for his teammates, dishing out passes to Preston Basa or Riley Brungard for a pair of triples each to give their team a commanding 26-10 lead.
New Chang Ming used the quick break to return to the second canto with an answer. Although turnovers remained a factor, they capitalized on offense as Jeffrey Castro found his range, connecting three shots from beyond the arc while Keith Santos and Shane Delon Guerrero provided finishes at the rim to reduce the deficit. But the Ol’Aces still held a double-digit advantage, 48-36, as Basa continued to let it rain with three consecutive three-pointers before going into halftime.
In the third quarter, New Chang Ming reassessed their strategy and focused on shutting down the Ol’Aces. Sid Quan nearly took Basa out of the picture, but New Chang Ming remained behind as Schmidt continued to find the bottom of the net, 67-58.
New Chang Ming kept the fight going and were finally rewarded in the fourth and final quarter. Santos and Jack Aranda converted a triple each followed by two perimeter shots by Quan to boost their team’s morale.
The sudden comeback seemed to have rattled the Ol’Aces as only Schmidt could answer with two triples of his own.
New Chang Ming, for their part, thrived and took over the lead for the first time thanks to the crucial shots by Deleon Guerrero and Quan, forcing the Ol’Aces to foul to stop the clock. But their efforts were in vain as New Chang Ming drained both of their attempts at the charity line to secure the win, 82-77, and the championship.
Awardees
The awards ceremony followed the game.
Named to the mythical five award were Best Guards Douglas Schmidt and Jeff Castro; Best Forwards Coby Santos and Arnold Arellano; and Best Center Daryll Foronda.
The Best Coach Award went to Dennis Cortez while Schmidt added another trophy to his collection as he was named the Regular Season MVP. Sid Quan was named the Finals MVP.
The Martech Ol’Aces took home the second place trophy while The Game finished third. Puerto Rico Bento came in fourth and Chekpoint International was given the Sportsmanship Award.
Scores
New Chang Ming 82 – Shane Deleon Guerrero 17, Jack Aranda 11, Sid Quan 11, Jeffrey Castro 10, Keith Santos 9, Alex Standish 7, Juan Camacho 6, Rodel Pastrana 6, Gerald Flores 5
Martech Ol’Aces 77 – Douglas Schmidt 32, Preston Basa 21, Riley Brungard 12, Aiferson Atan 6, Kelvin Fitial 6
