Kada Dia defenders smother a player as he goes up for a shot during a game in the U18 Boys Division of the 2025 Allied Pacific Environmental Consulting Basketball League at the Ada gym.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
KADA Dia reigned supreme in the U18 Boys Division of the 2025 Allied Pacific Environmental Consulting Basketball League, draining a buzzer-beater to upset Kagman, 40-39, at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium on Saturday.
Both teams were evenly matched, trading leads throughout the opening quarter.
Kada Dia functioned well as a team, with each player on the court contributing a bucket. Kagman, for its part, relied heavily on the skillset of Jerrico Pangelinan, who proved to be an all-around threat — delivering long-range shots, finishing strong inside, drawing fouls, and putting up nine points to seize a 14-11 lead.
The back-and-forth battle continued over the next three quarters, with Kagman maintaining a slight advantage.
However, in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Kada Dia’s Peyton Basa came in clutch, sinking a game-saving shot to tie the game at 32-32 and force overtime.
In the extra five minutes, both teams fought hard for control, but Kagman appeared hungrier for the win as Albert Fitial nailed back-to-back clutch shots to pull ahead, 39-38.
With eight seconds remaining, Kada Dia executed under pressure — rushing the ball downcourt and finding Dany Defang near the sideline. Breaking free from his defenders, Defang launched a running floater just as the buzzer sounded, sinking the game-winning shot to steal the victory from Kagman’s grasp, 40-39.
Joining the celebration was Turnkey Solution, which crushed Priority Care, 61-27.
