THE Last Shot IT&E Destroyers remained undefeated as they claimed the Tuesday Division championship of the Saipan Billiards Association’s Budweiser 8-Ball League by beating the Last Shot Ball Breakers at the Last Shot Bar in Chalan Kanoa Tuesday night.
Led by team captain Nolan Cultura, the Destroyers eliminated the Arcee 9 Eleven Hustlers at 9-Eleven in their quarterfinal match on Nov. 2, and outlasted Bamboo Club 88 STR8 Ball in their semifinal match at Bamboo Club 88 on Nov. 9.
“Against Bamboo Club 88, we almost lost — we just got lucky,” Nolan said.
At a crucial moment of the match, Bamboo Club’s Randy David scratched a long angle shot to the corner pocket, and this allowed the Destroyers’ Rey Pinangay to snatch the win with a short straight shot at the 8-ball.
At Last Shot Bar on Tuesday, the Destroyers dominated the Last Shot Ball Breakers, 9-3, in their race-to-nine championship match with Cultura, Roman Rodriguez and Rolly Villanueva blanking the Breakers’ Joel Buniag, Vic Formales and Donnie Williams in the final singles match.
Villanueva dispatched the Last Shot Breakers with a straight shot to the same side pocket where Williams missed a back cut shot at the 15-ball after pocketing four balls in a row.
Earlier in the game, Williams opened the final singles match by pocketing one ball, but he missed his second attempt with a long cut shot to the corner pocket.
In response, Villanueva sank two consecutive balls with table-length angle shots.
Despite the “bad” position of the cue ball resulting from his previous shot, Villanueva managed to convert short cut shots but he missed a back cut shot to the side pocket, and this gave Williams the chance to go for a four-ball sweep. However, he missed his final side pocket angle shot at the 15-Ball.
“Constant practice with cue ball positioning is what it takes to win the game,” Cultura said. “And also, a lot of focus.”
Warlee Ellama the SBA league secretary, said they were glad that the island’s 8-ball pool events pushed through despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said the league will continue to comply with the safety protocols.
He then congratulated the IT&E Destroyers and the other teams for yet another successful tournament.
He said the awarding ceremony will be held next week at the Rendezvous restaurant on the second floor of Saipan Vegas Resort & Casino in Chalan Laulau.
Ellama said SBA is now looking forward to its regular season that will start in February.
The IT&E Destroyers — Rey Pinangay, Rolly Villanueva, Roman Rodriguez and team captain Nolan Cultura — pose for a photo after winning their championship match against the Last Shot Ball Breakers at Last Shot Bar in Chalan Kanoa Tuesday night.
IT&E Destroyers’ Rolly Villanueva aims at the 5-ball during the Tuesday Division championship match of the Saipan Billiards Association’s Budweiser Open 8-Ball League at Last Shot Bar Tuesday night.
