Connect with us

Basketball

PANTHERS ROUT ROYALS BY HALF CENTURY

In an IIAG Boys Basketball matchup between the Guam High Panthers and ND Royals, the Panthers won 69-19, pulling away by large margins in the second half to blowout the Royals.

By Brandon Kinsella

In an IIAG Boys Basketball League matchup between the Guam High Panthers and Notre Dame Royals, the Panthers won 69-19, pulling away by large margins in the second half to blowout the Royals Tuesday night. Panthers point guard Ryan Taitague made key contributions in his season debut, leading the charge for the blowout victory.

Wendy’s Player of the Game: Ryan Taitague made a huge impact in his season debut scoring 20 points and picking apart the passing lane in the Guam High Panthers 69-19 victory over the ND Royals. (Photo by Michael Blas)

After struggling to make the three-ball in the first half, the Panthers made adjustments and came alive from deep, putting on a three-point display. It started in the 3rd quarter, when sharpshooter Nicholas Keefe drained a corner three. Then Taitague started to find his rhythm despite a rough first half shooting.

After converting on two free throws from the charity stripe, Taitague started to find his shooting rhythm. He then went on to sink a three pointer and capitalized on the momentum a few plays later. Teammates looked to Taitague again as he knocked down another 3-pointer, but this time he was fouled with a four-point opportunity. He converted on the free throw to push the lead to 48-12.

Taitague explained how he was able to stay confident despite a rough first half shooting.

“I wanted to make a bigger impact and help my team pull away. So, I decided to focus on my defense and let the offense come to me instead of forcing it.”

Taitague finished with 20 points, three steals and three rebounds.

The Royals struggled with turnovers early on and it would hurt their offensive efficiency throughout the game. ND’s players circled the perimeter, and no one established a presence in the paint, making it easy for the Panthers to pick apart the passing lane.

Peter Cruz and Bryce Chargualaf were the leading scorers for the Royals, each scoring five points.

An exciting display of offense by Panthers junior Andre Johnson would close the blowout victory. Johnson scored seven points in the game’s final minutes and was very animated with his celebrations after each shot, bringing both the crowd and head coach Joe Taitano some laughter to cap off the night.

PHOTO GALLERY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Ad

GPS Sports Calendar

August

September 2023

October
SU
MO
TU
WE
TH
FR
SA
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
Events for August

1st

Events for September

2nd

3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Events for September

3rd

Events for September

3rd

No Events
Events for September

5th

Events for September

6th

Events for September

7th

Events for September

8th

Events for September

9th

10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Events for September

9th

No Events
Events for September

11th

Events for September

12th

Events for September

13th

Events for September

14th

Events for September

15th

Events for September

16th

17
18
19
20
21
22
23
Events for September

17th

Events for September

18th

Events for September

19th

Events for September

19th

No Events
Events for September

21st

Events for September

22nd

Events for September

23rd

24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Events for September

23rd

No Events
Events for September

25th

Events for September

26th

Events for September

27th

Events for September

28th

Events for September

29th

Events for September

30th

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

COMING SOON …

  • High School Football starts Sept. 29
  • Brawl 3: Oct 13
  • Guam’s Strongest Man and Woman Competition October 29

 

QUICK HITS

The Figo Islanders 40s women’s softball team took gold in the Senior Softball World Championship in Las Vegas. Figo came out of the loser’s bracket and beat the Arizona Belles 17-3 in the AA division championship game Sunday afternoon.
Other Guam teams that played in the 40s tournament were: Team SOTTA (women’s) and Bud Light Guam, Friars 671 and Sindalun Guahan (men’s).
Sindalu finished a respectable 4th out of 24 AAA division teams.
——————————————————-
In Guam’s first time competing in the FIBA Asia Cup, we draw China, Japan, and Mongolia in Group C. Competition begins in 2024. Guam also moves up the FIBA world rankings to #76.

More in Basketball