DOLPHINS TOP SHARKS AS REGULAR SEASON CLOSES

By Charlotte Oh

The ISA/IIAAG Boys Basketball League regular season came to a close as the teams played their final games Tuesday night. The Southern Dolphins and Sanchez Sharks, both with a record of 6-5, were looking to secure a higher seed for the playoffs and end the season strong on a win. The game was tied in the fourth quarter, but the Dolphins pulled away in the final minutes, securing a 65-54 victory.

Southern finishes the season on a strong note, winning their fourth straight game. It also pushes the Dolphins into the 5th seed of the playoffs.

Senior Javan Naputi and junior Matthew Quinata led the charge for Dolphins, contributing 17 and 16 points, respectively. 

Both players understood the significance of this final game in determining their playoff positioning. “Tonight’s game decides where we are in the playoffs,” Quinata stated. “We had to really focus to stay in playoffs,” added Naputi.

The Dolphins commanded the first half and kept the game under their control. Despite a valiant effort from Shark Elijah Rosal, who scored 11 out of his 17 points before halftime, the Dolphins went into the break with a 39-28 lead. 

Southern’s head coach, Tony Taianao, credited defense to his team’s success tonight. “The biggest thing that we had to kinda practice was just making sure that our defensive rotations were crisp and we knew where everyone was supposed to be… You gotta start on the defensive end. That’s where you make your money. If we prioritize the defensive end, good things will happen.”

The Sharks, however, didn’t let down, coming out with renewed energy in the second half. Shark Kyle George, brought fire to the game, cutting through the Dolphins’ defense and scoring 16 points for his team. The game was tied at 51-51 in the fourth quarter, with the crowd on its feet cheering through the whole gym. 

Coach Taianao directed his players’ mindset during this crucial moment. “I had to just kinda tell them that the goal isn’t to win, but the goal is to do the things required to win, ” he explained. “I said, ‘Don’t worry about the big picture. Success is the small things done well’.”

The Dolphins stayed composed despite the pressure and worked together as a team more than the Sharks. Naputi noted this as one of the keys to their success, “Just how our offensive runs and being able to control the pace when things are getting out of hand.”

In the end, the Dolphins pushed through in the final minutes of the game to secure the 65-54 victory.

Now, they’re shifting focus to their upcoming quarterfinal on Friday. Quinata puts their goal for the next few practices in simple terms, “Work on this game and prepare.” Coach Taianao constantly reassures his players saying, “I’m always gonna tell the boys is don’t change who we are, don’t change what got us here, and just to stick to fundamentals.”

As the season closes, the Southern team expresses gratitude to the coach, fans, parents, friends, and family for making it all possible. With the playoffs ahead, they plan to give their best effort. Naputi closed with, “We just gotta play our hardest, gotta leave it all on the floor. That’s really it.”

Tuesday Games

FD 105, Notre Dame 53

GW 72, St. John’s 57

Guam High 49, Tiyan 45

St. Paul 86, Okkodo 66

FRIDAY QUARTERFINALS

# 8 Guam High @ #1 FD

# 7 Sanchez @ #2 GW

# 6 Okkodo @ #3 St. Paul

# 5 Southern @ #4 JFK