The CNMI Junior Nationals made it to the medal podium in the men?s division of the 2013 U19 Micronesian Basketball Tournament that concluded last Saturday at the Father Duenas Memorial School Phoenix Centre in Hagatna, Guam.

After going 0-3 in the preliminary round, the CNMI saved a bronze medal in the men?s division, following a 64-51 victory over Guam 16 in the battle for third place match. The CNMI U19 and Guam U16 consolation game was set after they lost their separate semis tiffs last Friday. The Commonwealth cagers bowed to Guam U19, 53-73, while Palau edged Guam U16 in the other Final Four pairing, 63-58. Guam U19 eventually took the championship as it led right at the get-go of the finals to coast to a 72-55 easy win over Palau.

Meanwhile officials of the CNMI Team were unavailable at press time to give details about the third place game, but the victory avenged its sorry defeat to Guam U16 in the preliminaries. The CNMI was in control of its first meeting with Guam U16 before the visiting team collapsed in the closing minutes of the game and eventually lost its opening match, 67-72

Guam, Palau, and the CNMI were awarded medals at the completion of the week-long tournament. Getting bronze medals for the CNMI were Jack Aranda, Ichitaro Faisao, Chris Mizer, Marc Babauta, Malcolm Maui, Darius Pettis, Erick Dela Rosa, Bryle Alegre, Jimmy Tudela, Shane Deleon Guerrero, and Emerson Feria, and coaching staff members Ed Manalili, Rufino Aguon, and Keith Nabors.

Aranda and Mizer received another recognition when they were named to the All-Tournament Team with Guam?s Sammy Setik and Michael Sakazaki, and Palau?s Marvic Ngchar.

Heartbreaker

In the women?s division, the CNMI missed the medal podium after a controversial call in the closing seconds of its third place match against Guam U16.

According to coach Preston Basa, they were down by only one, 41-42, and had a chance to grab the lead with 18 seconds left on the clock. The opportunity started with Michelle Kautz sprinting to their frontcourt and then dishing the ball out to Jamie Mendoza, who pulled up for a banked shot and made the basket. However, the referee nullified the shot, as he charged Kautz with a traveling violation.

Basa could not believe the call, so did majority of the spectators, who booed the referee for the controversial and crucial infraction. With the missed chance, the CNMI was forced to give up a foul and Guam U16 made a split to peg the final score.

“It was a painful loss. The girls were clearly disappointed, but we can?t do anything about it. We have to move on and learned from it. Our players are young and they will have more opportunities to represent the CNMI in the future. When that time comes, they have to learn how to control the game and lead by a good margin so situation like this (close loss) would less likely happen. The loss is really a learning experience for the girls and for me, too as a young coach,” Basa said in a telephone interview with Saipan Tribune yesterday.

The CNMI, which finished second in the preliminary round with its 2-1 record, faltered on its finals entry bid after bowing to Palau in the semis, 59-62. Then in the third place match, the CNMI played with a depleted line up, as Jeraldine Castillo was sideline by an injury and two other key players were given disciplinary actions.