IT&E finished its regular season topping NTT Docomo, 77-75 last Oct. 5 for their 10-1 record. Elmer Esdrelon basketed the crucial free throws after an technical foul was called against Docomo’s Andres Estolas in the last six seconds of the final quarter and tallied a total of 25 points.
Darwin Barbo backed him up with 19 points.
CPA Accounting on the other hand gained momentum when they defeated Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting, 86-48 last Oct. 7 with Ed Diaz and Jeff Cloud led the game with 27 and 23 points respectively.
They continued the rampage with 89-57 victory over Commonwealth Health Center as Cloud and Diaz combined for 50 points.
CPA completed the season with 6-5 standings after their 82-58 win over Department of Community and Cultural Affairs with Kirk Schuler backing Cloud up with his 36 points to lead the offense.
IT&E and CPA, according to Basketball Association of Northern Mariana Islands league coordinator, Ponce Rasa Jr., are now just waiting for the which ever teams emerge winners in the remaining games.
Among the remaining 10 teams, Hyatt Regency Saipan and Tinian are on the top of the standings.
Rasa said they would have to hold a meeting first before scheduling the playoff.
Aside from determining the regular season MVP and other awards, they are having a better idea of how the playoff is going to be.
“We plan to have a different playoff format,” Rasa said but decline to elaborate, except that seven teams will automatically be seeded in the playoff.
