The Saipan Southern Sonics pulled off an upset to advance to the 2007 19-and-under Micronesian Youth Basketball Tournament championship game after defeating Team CNMI 80-67 last night at the University of Guam field house.
Jonathan Lim and Manuel Ajoste scored the opening baskets of the game as the Sonics raced out of the gates and led 17-6 at one point during the first quarter. CNMI could get no closer than four until the third quarter when Keoni Chariton's driving layup in the lane cut the lead to 45-43.
The Sonics were led by Ajoste's 21 points and Lim's 16 points. Cruz led CNMI with 17 points and Chariton added 15 points.
Team Guam 72, Guam Youth Basketball Association 44: Guam stepped into the final behind a balanced scoring attack led by Roque Charfauros' 13 points. Joseph Blas and Dominic Sablan added 12 points apiece as Guam set up a rematch with the Sonics, who Guam defeated 67-63. Derrick Royster led GYBA, who slipped into the semifinals thanks to a loss by Guam High, with 14 points.
s Finals day: 2 p.m. CNMI vs. GYBA (men's consolation); 4:30 p.m. Guam vs. CNMI (women's championship); 6:45 p.m. Guam vs. Saipan Southern Sonics (men's championship)
In pool play games earlier yesterday:
Team CNMI 86, Southern Youth Basketball Association 67: Jericho Cruz and Won Joo Jung each scored 15 points to help CNMI finish pool play with a 4-0 record. SYBA (1-3) was led by 18 points from Jonathan Damian.
Team Guam 78, Team Chuuk 49: August Sotello scored 16 points and teammate Albert Andrea added 14 as Guam mirrored CNMI by topping Pool A with a 4-0 record. Terles Charles had a game-high 24 points for Chuuk (1-3).
Team Palau 85, Guam High Panthers 69: Bedor Kyota dropped 25 points as Palau (2-2) played spoiler by stopping the Panthers from reaching the semifinals. A Guam High win would have put it through to play Team Guam as it owned the tiebreaker over GYBA. Palau made sure that didn't happen, also getting 18 points from Ferris Baulehong and 15 from Perry Oiterong. Frank Aguon III led the Panthers (1-3) with 22 points.
Saipan Southern Sonics 85, Saipan G-Rollers: The Sonics finished Pool A with a 3-1 record.
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