TOP FOUR TEAMS MOVE ON TO SEMIS

By Shania Bulala

The ISA/IIAAG Boys Basketball League playoffs kicked off Friday evening, with the top eight teams competing for a spot in the next round. In this quarterfinal showdown, the second-seeded George Washington Geckos faced off against the sixth-seeded Sanchez Sharks at the Mangilao campus.

Friday night Quarterfinals

#1 FD 82, #8 Guam High 50
#4 JFK 71, #5 Southern 60
#2 GW 62, #6 Sanchez 43
#3 St. Paul 67, #7 Okkodo 58

Geckos’ Aiden Unganco led the game with an impressive 18 points, seven rebounds, and two steals, while teammate Jace Dela Cruz contributed 12 points and eight rebounds. Both players were also recently named 1st Team All-Island for this season.

“This is my first time making the All-Island team. It definitely helped with my confidence in the way I play knowing that I’ve never had this type of opportunity or recognition before,” expressed Uncangco.

First Half

From the jump, both teams brought the intensity, battling for every possession. The Sharks struck first, with Kyle George sinking the first two baskets of the game. However, the Geckos wasted no time in responding, fueled by Uncangco’s sharpshooting. He put on a stellar offensive performance, draining three 3-pointers in the first quarter to give his team the much-needed offensive push. By the end of the first quarter, the Geckos had established a 17-12 lead.

Heading into the second quarter, the Sharks refused to back down. They found an offensive spark when Atni Kasuta finally stepped onto the court. Kasuta scored seven points in the second to cut the Geckos lead to five points, 30-25.

Second Half

After the half, the Geckos hit an offensive stride by going on an 8-0 scoring run to widen the gap. Their defensive pressure also intensified, forcing the Sharks into tough shots and turnovers. By the end of the third quarter, the Geckos had extended their lead to 48-34, putting them in control heading into the final period.

Despite a valiant effort from the Sharks, the Geckos maintained their advantage and sealed the 62-42 victory. “We won, but there are definitely things we could’ve done a lot better,” reflected Dela Cruz. “We know that some of the mistakes we made today are not going to fly on Tuesday. We need to pick up the slack, and we know that whoever we face will also be preparing for us.”

With the semifinals in mind, the Geckos are focused on improving their defense and overall communication. “We always work on defense, not just offense. We know the team we face will be tough on both ends of the court, but we’ll be ready to lock it down,” said Dela Cruz.

Uncangco echoed the same sentiment, “Defense first, and everything else will follow.”

SEMIFINALS SET

With this win, the Geckos advance to the semifinals, where they will host the St. Paul Warriors on Tuesday at 6 pm. Mike Bork had 15 points and Bless Aisek added 14 in the Warriors’ win in the quarterfinals.

The other semifinal match will feature the top-ranked FD Friars taking on the JFK Islanders at the Phoenix Center also on Tuesday at 6 pm. Troy Dirige led the Friars with 18 points in their win over the Panthers on Friday. Noah Cruz and Daniel Del Carmen chipped in 13 apiece.

SEMIFINALS ON TUESDAY

#4 JFK @ #1 FD 6 pm

#3 St. Paul @ #2 GW 6pm