The Guardians’ Jerome Directo extends for the finish as he slips under a Unity Trade defender during a quarterfinal game of the Pacific Saipan Promo Invitational Basketball League at the Gualo Rai basketball court on Wednesday.
THE Guardians and Team Legends have advanced to the semifinals of the Pacific Saipan Promo Invitational Basketball League after eliminating their respective opponents in the quarterfinal round at the Gualo Rai basketball court on Wednesday.
The Guardians staged a fourth-quarter rally to upset Unity Trade, 63-56.
In the opening quarter, the Guardians’ Rodmar Diaz was an offensive threat as he managed to draw three separate fouls and split the attempts on the free throw line to score his team’s first three points while his teammates each chipped in a bucket.
Unity Trade, for their part, showcased their range with Dhan Mateo knocking down two triples followed by another by Vince Rodriguez to seize the lead, 13-11.
The action then began to intensify in the second canto as both teams continued to commit a handful of fouls. Unity Trade managed to stay afloat by four points, 26-22, thanks to the consistency of Paul Quizon and Mateo.
In the third quarter, the Guardians started to lose their touch. With every turnover made, Unity Trade capitalized on the other end with long-range punishments inflicted by Rodriguez and Quizon while Mateo remained a threat from within the perimeter with slashes to the rim to give Unity Trade their biggest lead of the night, 44-37.
In the fourth and final quarter, the Guardians adopted a new strategy and managed to turn the tables with better ball movements that created more shot opportunities.
Jerome Directo acted as the sparkplug by delivering a three-pointer followed by back-to-back triples by Jomari Dela Cruz to tie the score, 50-50.
On the defensive end, they still had a tough time keeping their hands to themselves as they fell into foul trouble early, but fatigue played a huge factor for Unity Trade as they shot at a very low percentage from the charity line, losing their chance to regain control.
For their part, the Guardians turned trash into gold on the other end led by Directo and Manuel Gatbonton, who scored the last four buckets to pull away and beat Unity Trade, 63-56.
Team Legends vs Eagles
Team Legends advanced to the semifinals by powering past the Eagles, 66-52.
Team Legends established dominance early with Jun Tabora scoring eight points in the opening quarter as his team seized a nine-point lead, 15-6.
In the second period, Eagles started to heat up as Andrew Sy and Jonthan Ibajan ignited the team’s momentum by scoring seven points. Bryan Ytac then followed suit with two consecutive triples.
In the third quarter, however, they were held to a single-digit production while Team Legends pushed a double-digit advantage, 43-32.
The Eagles attempted a comeback in the fourth canto with a majority of their points coming from beyond the arc, but they failed to stop Team Legends, who slowly worked their way to victory, 66-52.
Unity Trade’s Paul Quizon attempts the layup as two Guardians defenders reach out to contest the shot during a quarterfinal game of the Pacific Saipan Promo Invitational Basketball League at the Gualo Rai basketball court on Wednesday.
