Weno Mwoneau are the Chuuk Basketball Champions

The first game of the day had just been completed when the Tol 1 team appeared in the back entrance to the Chuuk High School Gym. Wearing white jerseys this experienced team had a strong and tough inside player, coupled with several young guards who added fresh legs and spirit to this veteran team.

Weno Mwoneau had gathered on the other side of the gym. Prior to entering the gym, affectionately known as "The Cage", the team had a long and serious meeting in the parking lot. They entered wearing black jerseys and a look of determination.

As the two teams went through warm ups, Referees Bill and Elibie Sewell watched the players. Score bench personnel Randy Petewon, official scorer, Lilly Sewell time keeper and Mason Fritz announcer, watched with interest as the crowd grew. The gym was packed to capacity and the stage set for an exciting and action packed 40 minutes of Chuuk basketball.

These two teams are not strangers to one another. Members of both Tol 1 and Mwoneau have competed against one another for more than five years. In fact, these two teams met in 2000 for the Chuuk Basketball Championship. It was a very competitive game then and the same was anticipated in today's championship game.

Players from both teams have played together on Chuuk State teams. Both teams have players that competed against one another in the 2005 high school basketball league, and last month players from Tol 1 and Mwoneau met to decide who would reign as the state's 3-on-3 champs.

But more important, Chuuk's basketball community is small and players know other players, a small fraternity of individuals who can claim ties to one another through the basketball.

Mwoneau. in order to put pressure on Tol's center and make certain he didn't get easy lay-ups, started the game in a man-to-man defense. This strategy kept the inside scoring down, but Tol found an answer in Remes, Tol's point guard, who early in the first quarter hit two big time 3-point shots, as did Santos and other members of his team.

Mwoneau was able to keep the game close with balanced scoring, so that at the end of the first quarter of play Tol lead by only two points.

The action continued with Mwoneau pushing the pace and continuing to exhibit good medium range shooting as well as scoring several key baskets off the fast break.

Third quarter action saw Mwoneau pull away to a 9 point lead. This lead continued into the fourth quarter, but a surge from Tol brought the game to within two points. Scoring see-sawed but Tol was unable to reclaim the lead.

With 1:58 to go Mwoneau led by 5 points, but a determined Tol team kept coming back, hitting tough shots and pushing their opponents to the limit - Mwoneau answered. As time continued to run the teams exchanged basket for basket, but the lead was never reduced to less than four points.

With only seconds remaining and the clock ticking down, Tol's Santos grabbed the ball, dribbled to half court where he launched an unbelievable "Globetrotter Meadowlark Lemon" shot that hit nothing but net. The buzzer sounded, and Mwoneau had won 75 to 72 in one of the most thrilling games of basketball ever played in Chuuk.

There were no losers here, only players who now stood on the court, drenched in sweat, exhausted from a fantastic game, all having done their best. Everyone was a champion this day!


Comments

Comment Guidelines: The SportsTG Network is made up of players, families and passionate sports followers like you who have a strong opinion about sport. That's great - we want you to have your say and share your thoughts with the world. However, we have a few rules that you must follow to keep it fun for all. Please don't be rude, abusive, swear or vilify others. Apart from some pretty serious sport sanctions, we also can ban you and report you if things get out of hand. So play fair and have fun, and thanks for your contribution.