The Ol’Aces and sponsor Alan Lebria of Martech pose with the Michelob Ultra Cup championship trophy and tournament director Marlene Lumabi during the awards ceremony Tuesday at the Ada gym.
The Ol’Aces’ Douglas Schmidt tosses the floater as Team Marianas’ Coby Santos extends for the block during the championship game of the Michelob Ultra Cup 2023, Tuesday at the Ada gym.
The Ol’Aces’ Aitau Barcinas goes for the second-chance bucket after a defensive rebound during the championship game of the Michelob Ultra Cup 2023, Tuesday at the Ada gym.
THE Martech Ol’Aces claimed the Michelob Ultra Cup 2023 championship with an undefeated record after dominating Team Marianas, 91-56, Tuesday at the Ada gym.
The first quarter was Team Marianas’ best as they made their presence felt from afar. Coby Santos unleashed a three-pointer followed by John Raquepo’s triple. Santos then connected his second shot. The bombardment continued as Matthew Richardson and Keith Santos added a pair of makes from beyond the arc.
Team Marianas’ perimeter defense also did not allow easy buckets, turning their opponents trash into gold with finishes on the other end for a 23-21 lead.
Despite Team Marianas’ strong start, their fire was completely put out in the second canto by the defensive pressure of the Ol’Aces led by Douglas Schmidt.
At one point, an accident occurred involving Santos and Schmidt during a scuffle for possession. Schmidt sustained a cut above the eye and needed medical attention. He returned to action with a bandage on his forehead.
Meanwhile, with each successful defensive stop, the Ol’Aces’ Riley Brungard capitalized with a pair of triples alongside Aiferson Atan with seven points to take a commanding 53-30 advantage.
Their lead grew larger after Team Marianas failed to convert several three-point attempts, allowing the Ol’Aces to maintain the safe distance by the end of the third quarter, 70-43.
With Team Marianas unable to rely on their long-range game, they forced their way inside to draw a handful of fouls and chip away at the deficit from the charity line.
But the Ol’Aces continued to thrive as Kevin Kabiriel and Airson Atan took over during the last few minutes of the game with a combined 12 points, paving a smooth road to victory and the championship, 91-56.
Defense
“Feels good to be back on the floor. Basketball has been out for quite a while so I’m happy to have the boys back — and it’s always good to win,” shared Preston Basa, who once played for the Ol’Aces but he suffered an injury and is now their coach.
When asked what their strategy for the title game was, he answered, “Defense. Not just for the championship but for our club, the Ol’Aces. Defense is always key. Team Marianas is a national team. They have a lot of offensive threats so if we play defense, we give our team the best chance to win. We look forward to defending the title next year.”
There were concerns about Schmidt resuming play after the injury.
According to team mate Zack Diaz, Schmidt is the “main component of our team.”
“Knowing Douglas, nobody will tell him not to play — injured or not, he will be on the floor,” Basa said.
“It was a great tournament all around,” he added. “Shout out to Marpac for bringing basketball back to the CNMI. A huge thank you to all the volunteers for putting this together — without them sports would be difficult so thank all of them for their time and effort.”
For NMI Basketball Federation President James Lee, it was “definitely a great start. The first Michelob Ultra Cup men’s league in a while. I definitely know we could do better so I’m looking forward to next year — same month, same time,” added Lee who is also Marpac’s beverage sales manager,
“This is our 50th anniversary [and the tournament is part of our] continuous effort to give back to the community by recognizing that basketball is one of the sports that we can bring back on island,” he said.
Lee also thanked the Northern Marianas Sports Association, the NMIBF board, tournament director Marlene Lumabi, officials, volunteers and the media.
