MARIANAS High School and Saipan Southern High School’s junior varsity teams defeated their respective opponents on Friday in the boys high school division of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League at the MHS gym.
MHS JV bagged their second straight win of the season thanks to their strong first half performance against Kagman High School JV.
In the first half, MHS JV moved the ball unselfishly and created several shot opportunities with the team’s starting five contributing a bucket each to establish an early lead.
KHS JV failed to find the bottom of the net as only Jon Diaz could penetrate to contribute six points while MHS JV extended the gap, 26-6.
In the second half, KHS JV turned defense into offense with back-to-back buckets, but MHS JV maintained the upper hand as Kenny Laquian and Marl Balignasay combined for eight points to seal the deal, 38-17.
SSHS JV vs MCS JV
Joining the winner’s circle was Saipan Southern High School JV which outscored MCS JV, 31-18.
Both teams seemed equally matched in the first half. SSHS JV stuck to the inside game with Kobe Imperial and Kian Helgen leading the assault to deliver four points each while MCS JV’s Charles Cepeda and Jose Mafnas connected a triple to trail by just five points, 12-17.
In the second half, SSHS JV made their presence known as they allowed MCS JV to two team points only while Imperial and Helgen continued to deliver en route to victory, 31-18.
KHS JV’s Darien Quitugua gets fouled as he goes up for the shot during a boys high school division game of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League at the MHS gym on Friday.
MHS JV’s Marl Balignasay attempts to take the shot as he is smothered by SSHS JV defenders during a boys high school division game of the IT&E Interscholastic Basketball League at the MHS gym on Friday.
