The Northern Marianas College-sponsored Proa survived a neck-and-neck second half and held a tight defense to hold off the Docomo-Rollers Basketball Club.
Shane Deleon Guerrero, who was named the Regular Season MVP, led Proa on eight points after scoring three off a layup and free throw in the final quarter. It was Karlo De Leon however, who sealed the game after shooting three more free throws with 30 seconds left on the clock.
“A lot of them are new to the game, especially in this situation in the finals,” stated Proa’s coach Quincy Johnson before being doused in water by his players after the game.
“A lot of them were nervous so I just kept trying to motivate them in a way to let them play their game and do what they practiced.”
Team Proa delivered more than five turnovers in the first quarter, allowing the Rollers only one basket during the opening five minutes. RBC starters Irvyn Malonzo, Emerson Feria, and Prince Factor squeezed in one shot apiece to trail Proa by two points.
The Rollers eventually tied the game, 9-9 early in the second period after a jumper from JP Iglesias.
Proa regained the lead from Jacob Palacios’ basket but another deadlock (11-11) ensued after Mike Espinosa’s two-pointer.
NMC Proa had earlier notched the top seed for the 15U playoffs after going undefeated in the regular season.
Jomari Smithee came into play during the second half, scoring all of his seven points while Ankie Manalili added four for an eight total.
In the fourth period, the Rollers narrowed the scores to 33-32 with back-to-back shots from Feria and Iglesias.
Deleon Guerrero and Smithee however, replied with fast break plays and garnered eight points to keep Proa ahead.
“Towards the end I had to bring in the boys with the most experience and use their experience to control the game,” said Johnson.
Three minutes before the buzzer, the Rollers had ample time to recover but dropped their chances of winning after several failed attempts. Feria, who topped the scores with 12 points, mustered only one basket before being rejected by Proa’s aggressive defense.
De Leon earned five points overall while Kobee Mendoza scored seven and Palacios earned five. Ivan Sanarez, Mark Puno, and Chris Cepeda each tallied two points.
“Karlo and Shane really came through tonight. Karlo came through with his final free throw baskets and helped give us the lead in the fourth quarter. Congratulations to Proa and thanks to coaches Ed Manalili and Edsel Mendoza, Rufino Aguon, and the rest of the team for having a successful season,” added Johnson.
Score:
Northern Marianas College Proa 46 – A. Manalili 8, S. Deleon Guerrero 8, K. Mendoza 7, J. Smithee 7, K. De Leon 5, J. Palacios 5, I. Sanarez 2, M. Puno 2, C. Cepeda 2
Docomo-Rollers Basketball Club 40 – E. Feria 12, W. Camacho 8, J. Iglesias 7, P. Factor 4, I. Malonzo 2, M. Espinosa 2, B. Floresca 2, R. Lansang 2, T. Devero 1
Quarterscores: 9-7, 22-15, 31-27, 46-40
Kunoichi 64, Rollers 40
Meanwhile, the all-female squad of Kunoichi trampled the Marianas Brokers, Inc. Rollers, 64-40 to clinch third place in the 15U division.
Kunoichi’s Nicole Arborilas and Becky Mettao capped the match with double digit scores, earning 18 and 19 points, respectively.
The Rollers quickly drew a six-point deficit in the first period and fell behind, 36-25 by the end of the first half.
Kunoichi — which mainly includes high school varsity players — included Madeleine Alegre, who totaled eight points. Mercedes Mesa and Lalaine Pagarao tallied six points each while Marianas High School student Jeralyn Castillo scored four.
The Rollers stumbled in the offense against their more experienced rivals and marked only one basket in the third quarter.
Arborilas blasted four three-pointers to propel Kunoichi ahead despite a huge lead in the fourth period. Both she and Mettao posted a combined 12 points to dominate the final quarter.
John Cano was the Rollers’ only double digit scorer with 14 points.
Kunoichi was eliminated in last Wednesday’s semifinals after falling to NMC Proa.
Scores:
Kunoichi 64 – B. Mettao 19, N. Arborilas 18, M. Alegre 8, L. Pagarao 6, M. Mesa 6, J. Castillo 4, D. Joseph 3
MBI Rollers 40 – J. Cano 14, Regis 7, S. Darag 4, J. Fidelino 4, Shaun 4, Adrien 3, Mark 2
Quarterscores: 19-13, 36-25, 44-27, 64-40
