GUALO Rai came out victorious against Chalan Kiya, 59-41, in a U18 boys division game of the 2022 Marianas Village Pride Basketball League on Saturday at the TSL Sports Complex.
Defense was the name of the game as Gualo Rai continuously harassed Chalan Kiya in the first half.
With each successful stop, Gualo Rai seized fastbreak opportunities and easy buckets led by Craig Padayao and Elijah Garcia who scored a total of 13 points.
Chalan Kiya struggled to secure the ball, but they managed to force turnovers and equalize through sheer hustle.
Chalan Kiya’s Lushawnn Reyes was at the frontline scoring 10 points while team mate Javan Kapwich drew fouls to chip away at the deficit from the charity line.
Undeterred, Gualo Rai continued to build momentum thanks to Leopoldo Naraja who delivered 10 points in the final few minutes of the opening half to give his team a double-digit lead, 28-17.
In the second half, Gualo Rai picked up where they left off by executing defensive stops and converting on the other end led by Padayao to further extend their lead.
Chalan Kiya keep their heads cool and gave it their all with Reyes and Kapwich at the frontline. However, they failed to stop Padayao’s offensive run underneath the rim as he scored 15 points while team mate Roger Hernandez added the finishing touches with back-to-back triples for a blowout victory, 59-41.
Women’s division
In the women’s division, Dandan defeated San Vicente, 37-32.
Teamwork was the key to victory as Dandan used its scoring options effectively. Cassandra Camacho started the run with six straight points while team mate Connie Camacho delivered four to give their team the lead.
For their part, San Vicente’s Angellyn Roligat, Andrea Ramos and Destiny Pangelinan connected a total of four three-pointers, but Dandan remained afloat as its players chipped in to remain ahead, 18-10, by halftime.
In the second half, San Vicente continued to rely on their ability to score from beyond the arc while Dandan’s Kina Rangamar and Katie Camacho took over the spotlight by scoring a total of 13 points to secure the win, 37-32.
U13 boys division
Joining the winner’s circle was Kagman which defeated Oleai in the U13 boys division.
It was a fairly even match between the two teams with Kagman leading12-10 by the end of the first half.
In the second half, Kagman played more aggressively on both ends of the court. Thanks to their unselfish plays and ball movement, they opened up several shot opportunities that allowed Liam Wilson, Dany Defang and James Matsumoto to deliver and eventually seal the deal, 34-26.
Gualo Rai’s Elijah Garcia extends for the finish during a U18 boys division game of the 2022 Marianas Village Pride Basketball League at the TSL Sports Complex on Saturday.
Gualo Rai’s Leopoldo Naraja drives toward the hoop during a U18 boys division game of the 2022 Marianas Village Pride Basketball League at the TSL Sports Complex on Saturday.
