MARIANAS High School won the 2021-2022 IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League championship after slipping past Tinian Jr./Sr. High School 27-21 on Saturday at the MHS gym.
It was a true finale as both teams fought with all their might and the game itself came down to the wire.
In the first half, the MHS Dolphins seemed to have the upper hand thanks to the work of Angellyn Roligat and Destiny Pangelinan.
Soligat set the pace early as she constantly punished Tinian from within the paint to ignite the Dolphins’ offensive run.
Pangelinan, for her part, drew the foul for the and-one play as MHS seized the lead 12-6.
Through teamwork, the Tinian Stallions bounced back late in the first half as they opened up a variety of scoring options with Lana Famaw, Pritzel Carreon and Isa Reyes eventually putting Tinian ahead by halftime, 15-14.
In the second half, the Dolphins continued to feed their main scorer, Roligat, whose strength and ability to finish at the rim handed MHS the lead once again.
Tinian’s Famaw was the only Stallion able to find an answer on the other end, but she also fell into foul trouble as time progressed, forcing her to back down defensively.
Meanwhile, Roligat continued to deliver with a total of 15 points alone — 10 in the second half — to put MHS at a safe distance and then to victory, 27-21.
In the semifinals, MHS defeated Mount Carmel School 15-10 while Tinian edged Saipan Southern High School in overtime, 19-15.
MHS is led by head coach Preston Basa and assistant coach Gabby Race. Its players are Destiny Pangelinan, Kalisa Klaver, Marielle Lopez, Angellyn Roligat, Princess Cania, Kyna Sales, Kina Rangamar, Reanna Ramarui, Shaina Mendoza, Paulynn Joyce, Raina Avelino, Adriana Tamparong, Amaya Reyes, and Jillian Ferrer.
The Marianas High school Dolphins pose with the perpetual plaque after winning the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League championship Saturday at the MHS gym.
The Tinian Jr./Sr. High School Stallions pose with their second place trophy during the awards ceremony of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League on Saturday at the MHS gym.
