Koblerville Elementary School players pose with Public School System Athletic Program Director Nick Gross and NMI Basketball Federation Board Member Marlene Lumabi after winning the co-ed elementary school division championship of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League on Saturday at the MHS gym.
Koblerville’s Logan Daniel drives toward the hoop as three WSR defenders close in during the co-ed elementary school division championship game of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League on Saturday at the MHS gym.
KOBLERVILLE Elementary School 1 earned their third consecutive championship in the co-ed elementary school division of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League after defeating William S. Reyes Elementary School 1, 24-15, on Saturday at the Marianas High School gym.
Both teams started off strong but it was WSR that drew first blood thanks to Joshua Lizama’s perimeter jump shot.
KOB quickly answered back as Logan Daniel found his rhythm with back-to-back finishes at the rim for a 6-2 lead before WSR called the first time out of the game.
When play resumed, WSR’s Landin Reyes delivered two crucial buckets while Lizama likewise scored four points, but these were not not enough to outshine KOB’s Daniel who added four more points to keep his team afloat, 10-8.
WSR continued to play to their strength in the second half with constant attacks, forcing a handful of fouls that allowed Javin Sablan and Lizama to score a total of three points.
But KOB successfully shut down WSR’s offensive production with half-court pressure. Turning defense into offense, KOB’s Daniel picked up where he left off with six straight points to give his team a comfortable 15-11 advantage.
WSR’s Lizama refused to wave the white flag but KOB’s Zowie Deleon Guerrero executed a stunning putback while Daniel added six more points to extend their lead.
WSR’s Lizama drained one more shot but they were soon out of time and had to settle for defeat, 15-24.
Undefeated
KOB not only bagged their third straight championship, they went through the tournament undefeated for extra bragging rights.
According to KOB Head Coach Francis Mendiola, it was a tough journey due to a short preparation time. “It was hard. A lot of these guys were not on the team last year, so we had to teach them the basics such as shooting. To have two teams was important, to help each other prepare for the tournament.”
Most of the players are students of Mendiola, a fifth grade teacher.
He said for the tile game their strategy was to shut down WSR’s main scorer, Joshua Lizama, by depriving him of his favorite spot, the middle lane; and focus on Daniel when they’re on the offensive.
Mendiola praised Daniel’s ability to step up when he was needed.
“During the first two games, he [Daniel] was shocked by the number of spectators. Luckily, the crowd wasn’t that big in the finals and he was able to focus and deliver,” Mendiola said.
“I would like to thank the parents of KOB, our former players, teachers and administrator for supporting our sports program which aims to build character. I would also like to thank the NMI Basketball Federation and Nick Gross,” Mendiola added.
