THE Game notched another win in the open division of the Saipan Centennial Lions Club Invitational Basketball League after defeating Lakay, 81-72, Friday at the Civic Center basketball court.
Lead exchanges marked the opening quarter with The Game powered by big man Arnold Arellano who repeatedly made his way inside the paint to draw a handful of fouls that resulted in seven points from the charity line.
Not to be outdone, Lakay’s John Mejarito scored six points while team mates Mark Malinay and Tony Kim’s delivered seven to give their team the upper hand, 15-13.
Lakay’s onslaught continued with Bryan Mendiola and Pete Lizama converting six and four points respectively.
However, Lakay failed to kill The Game’s momentum as Greg Deleon Guerrero and Arellano maintained the inside presence while Steve King and DJ Ong contributed a triple each to snatch control, 33-30.
The Game’s lead grew larger in the second half with Ong sinking 13 points.
Although Kim reignited Lakay’s momentum with 10 points, including back-to-back triples, The Game maintained efficiency with high-percentage shots to pull away en route to victory, 81-72.
A’s Car Aircon vs Blue Haus
In the masters division, A’s Car Aircon and Blue Haus went head-to-head in a nail-biting match that had to be postponed due to the rainy weather.
In the first quarter, A’s Car Aircon gained a one-possession advantage while Blue Haus struggled and was down by six points at half-time, 22-28
However, in the third quarter, Blue Haus’s Junar Guiab acted as the sparkplug by scoring two buckets while team mates Elmer Esdrelon and Dan Chan added a three-pointer each.
But A’s Car Aircon fought back, thanks to Dick Tibayan’s clutch shots, which included a jumper and a triple, to tie the score, 46-46.
A’s Car Aircon stayed aggressive in the fourth and final quarter, regaining control, 53-48, but the game had to be stopped due to the rain. The match will resume at a later date.
The Game’s Arnold Arellano gets fouled as he goes in for the shot during an open division game of the Saipan Centennial Lions Club Invitational Basketball League at the Civic Center basketball court on Friday.
A’s Car Aircon’s Cecelio Bisana pulls up for the finish during a masters division game of the Saipan Centennial Lions Club Invitational Basketball League at the Civic Center basketball court on Friday.
