JFK KICKS GUAM HIGH OUT OF PLAYOFFS

By Shania Bulala

The ISA/IIAAG girls basketball playoffs opened with a tight matchup Thursday evening as the 4th-seeded JFK Islanders edged the 5th-seeded Guam High Panthers 45–40 at the Upper Tumon gymnasium. The Islanders were led by Mylie Navarro with 13 points and Jaelyn Han with 12 points, both stepped up in key moments to help their team secure the victory and move on to the semifinals.

In the other quarterfinals:

(3) St. Paul 54, (6) Southern 50
(2) Academy 81, (7)Okkodo 24 – Gabby Hahn and Maddy Ada 23 pts
(1) St John’s 92, (8) Sanchez 36 – Jia Peters 30 pts, Zoe Whitehead 22 pts

Islanders Build Early Lead

The Islanders came out focused and steady from the jump, taking a 12–6 lead after the first quarter. Islanders’ Jaelyn Han quickly found her rhythm, stepping up to help her team control the pace of the game and settle into their offense. The Islanders worked to keep the ball on their side by using patient ball movement to create open looks and good shot opportunities.

“We had some things we had to fix throughout the season, and coming into quarterfinals, we knew we had to adjust our game, and I feel like we did just that tonight. We played good defense and were patient on the offense,” added Han.

By the second quarter, the intensity of the game picked up on both ends of the floor. Islanders’ Navarro became the spark for her team, using her quick hands to grab steals and turn them into fast-break points. Her hustle helped the Islanders stretch their lead and gave them the confidence they needed to stay ahead of the game.

But the Panthers managed to stay competitive throughout the quarter. They ran clean offensive sets and scored off well-executed plays orchestrated by point guard Cambrie Egbert. Just before the half, Egbert managed to knock down a long three to trim the Islanders’ lead to 26–21, keeping the game close heading into the break.

A Back-and-Forth Second Half

The Panthers came out roaring in the third quarter and managed to cut the lead to just two points, shifting the momentum of the game and putting on the pressure. The Islanders responded with effective precision. Coming off the bench, Islanders’ Elizabeth Carlos put up an impressive three-point play that gave her team the much-needed push to tip the ball back into her team’s favor. Following this momentum, Han delivered another impressive performance, scoring four quick points in just under a minute to build back a comfortable lead. By the end of the third quarter, the Islanders led by 10 points, 41–31.

Even in the final quarter, the Panthers refused to go down without a fight. They relied heavily on Egbert, who was active on both offense and defense. She helped her team pull the game to just five points, making it a 43–38 game and forcing the Islanders to stay on their heels down the final stretch. The Islanders tightened up their defense and made the key plays they needed to hold off the late surge.

“We were able to make the adjustments when the score started getting close thanks to the guidance of our coaches. We knew we needed to communicate on the floor and focus to the very end,” said Navarro.

With steady contributions from Navarro and Han throughout the night, the Islanders closed out the win and now advance to the semifinals against the Knights.

“As a team, we all came together and pushed through until the end even when things got tight because we wanted this win,” said Navarro.

The next playoff game is not scheduled until December 17, as the U17 girls national basketball team heads to Samoa to partake in the 2025 FIBA Oceania Cup.

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