KAG 1 players pose with the co-ed elementary school division championship trophy of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League SY23-24 at the Marianas High School gym on Saturday.
KAG 1’s Benaiah Murphy dribbles for the fast break finish as TIN 1 defenders chase after him during the co-ed elementary school division title game of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League SY23-24 at the Marianas High School gym on Saturday.
TIN 1’s Francisco Moses takes the free throw shot during the co-ed elementary school division title game of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League SY23-24 at the Marianas High School gym on Saturday.
KAGMAN Elementary School 1 claimed the co-ed elementary school division title of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League after edging Tinian Elementary School 1 at the Marianas High School gym on Saturday.
In the double-elimination playoff tournament, KAG 1 secured their seat in the finals unscathed while TIN 1 fought their way through the pits to face off against KAG 1.
TIN 1 had to beat KAG 1 twice to win the championship.
In the first game, TIN 1 pulled a second half rally to stun KAG 1.
TIN 1 set the tone early in the opening quarter thanks to Francisco Moses’ ability to finish at the rim, scoring eight of his team’s 10 points to seize the lead 10-4.
In the second period, KAG 1 defended better while Benaiah Murphy took over the spotlight by scoring six points to slightly reduce the gap, 10-15.
After a fairly even performance in the third quarter, KAG 1 started to gain more confidence in the fourth and final quarter with Murphy delivering seven points while teammate Conan Iakopo drained a clutch jumper to grasp a hold of the lead for the first time, 22-21.
But TIN 1’s Moses scored a late-game bucket and teammate Manuel Cruz Jr. split his free throw attempts to secure the win, 24-22, handing KAG 1 their first loss and forcing another game.
Second game
It was a seesaw battle in first three quarters of second game with KAG 1 holding a two-point advantage thanks to Murphy’s consistency on offense. TIN 1 tried to pull a late-game rally with a clutch three-pointer by Cruz while Moses remained at the frontline. However, Murphy had help from Iakopo and Astrid Mastwemai as they rode their way to victory, 20-16, and clinch the co-ed elementary division title.
“Impressive win,” said KAG 1 Coach Constancio Miday. “We worked on this for the past two years, and the hard work with my students produced results. Rain or shine, I made sure the kids practiced and now we got the trophy. Thank you to the teams that participated in this league as well as the PSS Athletic Program. We need to reinforce the physical wellness of the kids. When the kids are physically fit, the academics will follow,” he added.
