PANTHERS WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT

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By Colin Leon Guerrero

Dolphins Mitchel Torre got the tip off to start the game against Guam High. (photo by Jesse Castro)

The IIAAG Boys Basketball League will take a two week break from competition as most of the teams prepare for next week’s Far East Tournament in Okinawa.

The Guam High Panthers probably wish there isn’t a break. The Panthers won their fourth straight game by defeating the Southern Dolphins 37-35 Tuesday night at Guam High.

Guam High took advantage of early Dolphin turnovers, as Austy Hines would lead the Panthers recording a triple double with 14 points 16 rebounds and 10 assists.

“It was a good win, we had a good game defensively,” said Hines as the Panthers shut down one of Southern’s top scorers Eddie Lorenzo to six overall points. “Coach told us he was a good shooter, we just wanted to hold him down.”

In the final minute of the fourth quarter the Dolphins had an offensive surge going on a 7-0 run after a layup by Ray Taimanglo which brought the Dolphins within two making the score 37-35. However, with time running out the Dolphins failed to tie the game after a Panther turnover.

Guam High had a strong second quarter defensively holding the Dolphins down to three points. Hines began to heat up as he crossed over a Dolphin defender finishing with an acrobatic layup that got the crowd excited and gave the Panthers the lead 19-12 going into half time.

Southern had a chance to take the lead in the third after a nice three-point play by Taimanglo cutting it to 23-21, but Guam High guard LJ Agoun hit a crucial jumper on the next Panther possession giving them a comfortable lead heading into the fourth.

Foul trouble was the story for the Dolphins as their big man Mitchel Torre fouled out of the game at the beginning of the fourth. “We were worried about him, but it was just something that happened and it worked in our favor,” added Hines when asked about Torre.

Panthers LJ Aguon set up to pass the ball around Southern defender Eddie Lorenzo to his teammate Austy Hines. (photo by Jesse Castro)

“Fourth quarter regardless of the score, Southern has a never-say-die attitude and they’re going to bring it,” said Panthers coach Ben Leon Guerrero who credited Southern on holding them down in the last minute of the game. “This is a win that we needed to give us momentum going to Far East and the second half of the season,” added Leon Guerrero.

The Panthers are now 6-5 after winning their last four. The Dolphins remain in fourth place in the Gadao Division.

NOTES: The boys teams that are schedule to go to Okinawa for the Boys Division I Tournament are the Panthers, FD Friars, GW Geckos and Okkodo Bulldogs. The Girls Far East Tournament will be going on at the same time in Japan. The Guam teams expected to go are the Academy Cougars, Panthers, Dolphins, Bulldogs and JFK Islanders.

OTHER GAMES

St. John’s 66, Sanchez 51: In a big battle for third place in the Taga Division, the Knights came away with a big win. Both teams are now tied at 6-5 but the Knights just took the head-to-head matchup. The Sharks took the JV game 55-36.

St. Paul 86, Harvest 56: Sheik Carino had 21 points and John San Andres added 16 points in the Warriors win over the 0-11 Eagles. Jordan Javellana led Harvest with 19 points.

Okkodo 88, JFK 76 (OT): The Islanders almost came away with a mild upset as they held a 73-71 lead with six seconds left in regulation, but the Bulldogs free throws came through to tie it up and sent it into overtime. Okkodo was too much for JFK in the overtime period.

GW 75, Notre Dame 59: The Geckos are back in the win column with an easy win over the Royals down south.

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