By James Sablan
james@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
THE Compadres advanced to the semifinal round of the 2025 E-Sports CNMI Invitational Basketball League on Tuesday night after defeating Jacob’s, 69-59, in the quarterfinals at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
The Compadres set the tone early with a dominant first-half performance.
All eyes were on Compadres’ Tabora, whose height advantage proved unmatched as he controlled the boards while putting up eight points with ease from inside the paint. Jacob’s began fouling out of frustration — a move that only benefited the Compadres, as Tabora and Servantes shot at a high percentage from the charity line to keep the momentum burning.
Jacob’s tried to close the gap but struggled to find its rhythm, with only Fernando and Singca managing to break through the Compadres’ defense and combine for 15 points. Compadres, for their part, continued to thrive as Sanchez joined the fray, scoring eight consecutive points at one stretch to extend the lead to 20 points heading into halftime, 35-15.
Despite the rough start, Jacob’s persistence began to pay off in the second half, highlighted by their increased defensive pressure.
Gaviola, who had been quiet throughout the first half, came alive by capitalizing on turnovers with fast-break finishes, while Singca picked up where he left off, hitting a barrage of triples to quickly cut the deficit.
Fortunately for the Compadres, they were able to maintain a double-digit lead thanks to the steady play of Sanchez, who poured in 12 second-half points — including and-one conversions and three-pointers.
Jacob’s managed to trim the lead to single digits in the final eight minutes, but each time they scored, the Compadres had an answer on the other end and held on for the 69-59 victory.
In another quarterfinal matchup, Kumpare defeated Mountain, 72-62.
