It was a slow-paced first half as both teams were still getting their feet wet.
The Rollers eventually drew first blood with Jay Art Palmes draining a triple. With proper defensive pressure led by Merrick Toves who recorded three shot denials, the Rollers created more shot opportunities with Leo Naraja orchestrating an offensive push with a handful of assists to gain a 12-4 lead.
The Rollers’ Jay Art Palmes, right, attempts to drive past a Chinatown defender during Saturday’s debut of the RBA Holiday Tournament-U17 division at the Koblerville gym. Photo by James F Sablan Jr.
The Rollers’ Jeremiah Diaz squeezes past a Chinatown defender during Saturday’s debut of the RBA Holiday Tournament-U17 division at the Koblerville gym. Photo by James F Sablan Jr.
Chinatown struggled but its players tried their best on both ends of the court. Cadmiel Aque, Kerby Manganti, Aiden Suba and Miles Navarro displayed their dominance on the board with countless rebounds but they were unable to score.
The Rollers, for their part, thrived in offense and found their second wind in the second half. Toves continued to attack with a triple of his own along with a few more buckets from Naraja and Darren Pangelinan to build an unreachable lead and secure victory, 51-8.
U13 division
In the U13 division, Team Red came out victorious against Team Blue.
Team Red’s Mykee Mercado, Lance Lerio and Jezpher Navarro were the leading scorers, contributing double digits while Team Blue’s Jared Villagomez and Christian Lucero tried to match their opponents’ performances.
Team Red, however, outlasted Team Blue en route to a 39-20 triumph.
