By James Sablan
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
PRIORITY Care is off to a strong start in the 2026 Priority Care Inter Business/Government League after outlasting CHCC, 92–73, during the opening games held Thursday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
It was a surgical battle that was nightcapped by a display of pure offensive firepower. Priority Care seized early control, suffocating CHCC with strong defensive coverage and turning forced turnovers into made buckets on the other end. Steve King led the opening quarter with 10 points — including a triple — to carve out a 21–13 lead.
CHCC fought back in the second quarter, matching Priority Care’s scoring output with aggressive drives to the rim and drawing fouls in an effort to chip away at the deficit. However, CHCC continued to struggle against Priority Care’s interior defense and went into halftime trailing, 42–25.
Despite the deficit, CHCC showed flashes of a comeback in the second half. Led by Sean Apasan and Mike Ito, CHCC found success in transition and outscored Priority Care 25–19 in the third quarter. But Priority Care’s depth proved decisive, as Matthew Duenas came off the bench with multiple and-one plays alongside Airson Atan and King to secure a convincing 92–73 victory in their season debut.
Guns & Hoses vs Docomo
The season opener between Guns & Hoses and Docomo was a back-and-forth heavyweight bout that was not decided until the final whistle.
Guns & Hoses came out firing, with Athan Taisague and Chris George leading the first-quarter assault, while Francisco Mizutani, Freddy Guerrero, and Ben Pelisamen took over in the second to maintain a slim 38–35 advantage at halftime. However, they could never quite shake the resilience of Docomo.
Docomo seized momentum in the third quarter as Shane Deleon Guerrero caught fire, scoring 14 points to end the period in a deadlock, 56–56.
In a frantic fourth quarter, Guns & Hoses leaned on Mizutani and Juan Quitugua Jr. to stay within striking distance. In the closing moments, Mariano Aguon was fouled with a chance to tie the game but missed both free throws, allowing Docomo to pull away for a 75–72 victory.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
