The Sixers were put to the limit, with all five players present on the court with no substitute. To make matters worse, Sixers’ Jennis Wright was shortly removed from the court after taking a hit on the face. The team had no choice but to go on a 4-on-5 against the Rebels for the last half of the third quarter.
Fortunately, Wright was back by the fourth quarter to provide support for his team. They caught up to the Rebels with 2 minutes left to spare, tying the game 103-103.
Runnin’ Rebels’ Ivan De Vero raised his team’s hopes after pulling a three-pointer before the buzzer, tying them again with the Sixers and bringing the match to a long-awaited overtime.
With an extra five minutes left on the clock, Rebels’ Leroy Rangamar shot for a three-pointer to keep the Rebels in the lead.
The Sixers’ stunning single-point victory came from a mere free throw shot from leading scorer Joseph Ada, who blasted 10 points during overtime, and another 38 from the rest of the game.
Nationals score another win
The Bud Light CNMI Nationals mark another win after defeating the Bacardi Mojito Hi-5s 91-80 last Friday at Ada Gym.
The Hi-5s put up a good match with Dave Sablan leading the team in the offensive.
The Nationals countered with speed, leading them ahead of the Hi-5s with 27-18 by the end of the first quarter.
Nationals’ Jack Lizama gave the Hi-5s a hard time after making several steals during the first half.
The Hi-5s momentarily caught up with the Nationals, gaining their lead in the second and third quarter. Sablan raised the team by 8 points, after making 4 successive lay ups. Their team began to burn out in the fourth quarter, which gave the Nationals a chance to strike back.
While the Hi-5s began to slow down near the end of the game, the Nationals focused on stalling the clock and taking advantage of their lead. The Hi-5s were not able to catch up due to lack of time.
Scores:
Michelob Ultra Sixers 124 – J. Ada 48, M. Duenas 29, E. Duenas 24, J. Wright 17, K. Belyeu-Cabrera 6
O’Doul’s Runnin’ Rebels 123 – I. De Vero 32, M. Olaitiman 32, S. Teregeyo 25, L. Rangamar 19, W. Tomokane 6, C. Kenty 5, D. Norita 4
Quarterscores w/ overtime: 26-19, 48-53, 72-87, 112-112, 124-123
Scores:
Bud Light CNMI Nationals 91 – J. Lizama 17, D. Barcinas 15, P. Iguel 15, T. Quan 9, P. Mendiola 9, J. Tumaquip 8, C. Johnson 8, R. Naraja 8, J. Lee 2
Bacardi Mojito Hi-5 80 – D. Sablan 31, K. Bernardo 26, W. Abuel 10, B. Demapan 7, E. Santos 4, S. Lerio 2
