FMS’ Payton Basa attempts the pass to a teammate in midair as defenders reach in for the steal during the championship game in the boys middle school division of the IT&E-PSS Interscholastic Basketball League Saturday at the MHS gym.
The FMS team members pose with the boys middle school division championship trophy of the IT&E-PSS Interscholastic Basketball League at the MHS gym on Saturday.
FRANCISCO M. Sablan Middle School bagged the boys middle school division title of the IT&E-PSS Interscholastic Basketball League at the Marianas High School gym on Saturday by slipping past Saipan International School, 29-26.
The first half saw FMS on the attack with Payton Basa on the frontline, scoring a couple of buckets while team mates Giovanni Camacho and Dany Detona delivered two points apiece to grab the lead.
But midway through, SIS’ Aiden Camacho heated up with seven straight points to cut FMS’ lead, 11-12.
In the second half, FMS’ Basa and Camacho maintained efficiency around the perimeter with back-to-back makes, but SIS’ Dariel Joab and Camacho converted a couple of shots to stay in the game.
Led by Theo Lucio, SIS finally seized the lead with only six minutes left in the clock.
Undeterred, FMS’ Dairus Pangelinan connected a three-point shot that reignited the team’s momentum while team mates Pezmon Camacho and Giovanni Camacho joined the offensive onslaught en route to a hard-won victory, 29-26.
“It has been a struggle in the regular season,” FMS head coach Dexter G. Tenorio said. “My mom passed away and we did not train for a week.”
During the regular season, FMS lost to Saipan Community School and SIS. “But the kids kept practicing even without me,” their coach said.
As for SIS, he said, “I feel like we were playing with high school players — they were very athletic and they played a really physical game.”
Tenorio said their strategy was to “just let them do their play — let them play their rough game and let us play smart.”
Tenorio said he had considered the more experienced Dandan Middle School as FMS’ strongest rival, but it was SIS that denied DMS a title shot.
“I would like to thank all our supporters, the FMS family and my family as well as assistant coaches Angel San Nicolas and Ezekiel Macario,” Tenorio said.
