2008 Shell NBL Team Standings (As of March 12)

DIVISION I
                W     L

Nationals     9    1
Styxers        8    1
Islanders      7    3
Peched        6    3
Rivals          5    3
Surangel      5    4
Ididers        4     4
Breakers      3     6
Ranchers     2     8 
Meda          1     7
Ikelauans    0     9

DIVISION II

N. 79ers     10    0
Shell Helix  10    0
Airai            8    2
Stingers       8    2
Bullets         7    3
PCC            7    3
Blue Sharks  7    4
Klebokel      6    4
Sam's Sharks 5   5
Rough Riders 5   5
Mesang         5   7
Kabong         4   5
On Fire          3   8
PPR              2   7
Airwaves        2   7
N. Central      2   8
Meda Boys     1   9
Jaguars         0    11

Nationals close out with 9-1 on top in first round

THE National Team outwitted Surangel, 85-80 on Wednesday night and finished on top of the team standings in Division I of the 2008 Shell NBL.
With the win, the Nationals, who are not part of the playoff round, closed out with a 9-1 record. The team is composed of players who are picked up from some participating teams this year.
Douglas Schmidt of Helix led the Nationals' assault with 22 points, Javis Pedro of the Rivals had 14, same as Taka Gibbons had 13, Chris Chiba 11 and Ziske Asanuma 10.
Earlier on Monday, the Styxers defeated the Islanders, 64-60, to stay in second place with 8-1.
Una Rikrik and Benny led the scoring chores anew with 27 and 16.
The Islanders rebounded with an easy 77-62 victory over the Ranchers on Wednesday.
John and Armando had 19 and 18 for the Islanders, who remained in third with 7-3.
Also on Monday, 2006 champion Peched outshone the Ranchers, 77-63, and are now 6-3 in fourth.

Rough Riders stun Bullets; Blue Sharks climb up

THE Rough Riders scored an upset victory over the Bullets, 85-80, on Tuesday night to improve its record in Division II of the 2008 Shell NBL.
The win was the Rough Riders' fifth in 10 games while dealing the Bullets their third straight setback.
Joey Sumor led the Rough Riders with 29 while Augustine added 21.
However, the Rough Riders are in 10th place while the Bullets are tied with PCC with similar 7-3 records in fifth to sixth places.
The Bullets won their first seven games. They were playing against co-leader Helix as of press time last night.
On Monday, On fire defeated Mesang, 81-65, with Parley leading the team with his 25 markers.
On Fire, thus, snapped a five-game losing skid and improved its card to 3-8 in 13th place.
Mesang's five-game winning rampage, on the other hand, was stalled and dropped to a 5-7 record in 11th.
Also on Tuesday, the Stingers won over Kabong, 97-80, and improved to an 8-2 mark in a tie with Airai in third to fourth places.
Charlie led the Stingers with 20 points while Burton and Vann had 14 apiece.
The Blue Sharks picked up two victories for the week and climbed to solo-seventh place with 7-4 by beating the Meda Boys, 64-52, on Tuesday and the Jaguars, 70-58, on Wednesday.
Bisa Demei led in scoring on both games with 21 and 28.


79ers, Helix stretch winning runs to 10-0

SHELL Helix and the Ngiwal 79ers defeated their respective opponents in separate occasions to stay on top and stretched their winning runs to 10-0 in the 2008 NBL at the Palau National Gymnasium.
The 79ers defused On Fire, 84-78, on March 6 while Helix demolished PCC, 76-50, on March 8.
Marlon and Jose scored 22 and 17 points, respectively, to lead the 79ers to deal On Fire its eighth setback in 10 outings despite its players finishing with double digits. Parley scored 25, Ngibtal had 17, Cameron 14 and Alston 13.
The scoring leaders for Helix were Perry Oiterong qith 19, Bedor Kyota 16, Ferris 11 and Douglas Schmidt 10.
Also on March 6, the Stingers prevailed over Klebokel, 99-82, to create a two-way tie in fourth to fifth places with the Bullets with their identical 7-2 marks.
Chris Soper led the Stingers with 16 while Vann Isaac, Garth Backe and Lovlinson had 14 apiece while Scott and Charlie had 11 and 10.
But Klebokel bounced back with a 81-71 victory over Ngiwal Central on the following day on March 7.
The win was Klebokel's sixth in 10 outings in seventh place while the loss was Central's eighth in 10.
Uchellas had 21 for Klebokel.
Running strongly with its 8-2 card in second are the Airai Aces, who demolished PPR, 82-58, with Jun, Antonio and Despe coming home with 18, 15 and 12 points. PPR further skidded to a 2-7 record.
In another game on March 8, Mesang improved to a 5-4 card as it dealt the Jaguars their 10 losses in as many games in another one-side contest, 71-59.
The scoring leaders for Mesang were Clint with 18, Bevan 16 and Taz 12.

Helix, 79ers remain undefeated after nine games

CO-LEADERS Shell Helix and Ngiwal 79ers picked-up their ninth wins over their respective opponents and further widened their lead in Division II. Helix won via forfeiture off a no-show Ngiwal Central on Tuesday night March 4. Central thus further slipped to a 2-7 card in the company of On Fire and the Airwaves.
Also on the same night, the Ngiwal 79ers finished off the Jaguar with an easy 61-51 count. Marlon topscored for the 79ers with nine points while xix others contributed with six points each including Aladin, Aldan, Carson, Laban, Olando and Benance. The 79ers' balance scoring game thus spoiled the 24-point effort of the Jaguars' frontliner Jun Lanzuela, who holds the season's current record of 38 points in a single game. But the Jaguars are still groping with a 0-9 mark.
In the battle of the Sharks, Sam's Sharks prevailed over the Ngarchelong Blue Sharks, 66-61, on Monday night March 3. The win was Sam's fifth in 10 games in ninth spot. In spite of the loss, Ngarchelong is ahead in eighth spot with 5-4. Anloyd Samuel finished with 20 points for Sam's while Polandi and Kelil had 15 and 12.
Mesang improved its record to 4-6 in 12th place by overpowering the Meda Boys, 71-46. The Meda Boys stayed in 17th with 1-8.
The biggest story of the week was the one point upset victory of the Rough Riders against PCC Mesekiu, 56-55, on Wednesday night.
Joey Sumor led the Rough Riders' assault with 23 points including the marginal free throws in the endgame.
However, PCC is still in third place with 7-2 while the Rough Riders are in 11th with 4-5.

Nationals beat Ikelauans; Styxers humble Peched

THE Nationals outgunned the Ikelauans, 96-61, on Wednesday night March 5 to keep the tournament lead in Division I. Douglas Schmidt fired 27 markers to lead the Nationals to their eighth win in nine games. Three other National team players finished with double digits, Perry Oiterong 15, Ziske Asanuma 12 and Topas 10. The Ikelauans remained winless after nine outings.
Also on March 5, the second running Styxers humbled 2006 champion Peched, 72-65 and further improved its record to 7-1. Una Rikrik scored 16, Benny and Dwight had 14 each and Wallace 12 for the Styxers, who tied the Nationals with the most consecutive wins of six. The loss was Peched's third and are now tied with the Rivals and Surangel with similar 5-3 cards in fourth to sixth place.
Earlier on March 3, Surangel and Sons Company struggled before coming home with a 75-71 victory over the unheralded Ikelauans. Kent Moore and Juvic San Juan closed out with 19 and 18 points, respectively while Arnel added 13.
The defending champion Rivals also went to work doubly hard to score a 76-70 win against the Ranchers. With the victory, the Rivals recovered from their loss in their previous game against the Styxers. Javis Pedro led the Rivals in offense with 27 while Spis Gordon and Itol chipped in 10 and nine. OJ Johnson shot a night high of 37 points for the Ranchers' losing effort, their sixth in eight outings.

Nationals rip Breakers; Islanders outshine Meda

THE National team rolled to five straight wins by ripping the Breakers, 88-67, on Friday Feb. 29 and stayed on top of the standings in Division I. Ziske Asanuma and Javis Pedro finished with 25 and 16 points, respectively, to lead the Nationals to their seventh victory in eight games while dealing the Breakers their sixth defeat after eight games.
In the other game, the Peleliu Islanders rebounded with an easy 87-74 triumph over Meda to remain in third place with a 6-2 record.
Elizer scored a night high of 30 points to lead three other Islanders with double digits. John shot 15, Rekis added 14 and Armando 13.
Completing the current team standings are Nationals (7-1), Styxers (6-1), Islanders (6-2), Peched (5-2), Rivals (4-3), Surangel (4-3), Ididers (4-4), Ranchers (2-5), Breakers (2-6), Meda (1-6) and Ikelauans (0-7).

Airwaves surprise Bullets; 79ers win to tie Helix

THE unheralded Airwaves posted the week's biggest upset victory over the Bullets, 85-70, on Feb. 29. However, the Airwaves are still groping in 15th to 16th places in a tie with On Fire in the 18-team field Division II with similar 2-7 win-loss records. It was the second consecutive loss for the Bullets after winning all their first seven games but they remained in strong contention with their 7-2 record in a tie with the Airai Aces.
Singeo, Bedor and Robert led the Airwaves' brunt of attacks with 18, 15 and 14 respectively. Franky led the Bullets with 17 while Cool and Rush had 13 each.
The Airai Aces won last Saturday's lone game with a lopsided 104-95 win at the expense of On Fire. Tkoel Iyechad scored 25 points for the Aces while June had 19, Alex 14, Despe 11 and Dudley 10.
Earlier on Feb. 28, the Ngiwal 79ers kept their record clean by demolishing the Meda Boys, 74-39. The 79ers are now 8-0 in a tie with Shell Helix.
Marlon led the 79ers' in offense with his game high of 21 points while Curtis and Laban added 11 and 10. The loss was the Meda Boys' seventh in eight games and further slipped to 17th position.
Also on Feb. 28, Mesang defeated Sam's Sharks, 66-59, while the Ngarchelong Blue Sharks escaped with a 72-71 win over the Airwaves.
Jovani split his free throws for the go ahead win. He had eight of his 12 in the fourth. Visa had 20 and Moses 15.

Helix streaks to 8th against Stingers

SHELL Helix scored another big win over the Stingers, 87-78, on Tuesday night Feb. 26 and remained undefeated after eight games in Division II of the NBL. Helix smallest but quickest man on court, Dembei Watanabe, stood tall with his 20 points. Perry Oiterong also contributed well with 17, Chris Chiba and Melech added 12 and 10. The loss was the Stingers' second in eight outings.
Other Tuesdays' results showed the Airai Aces winning over the Jaguars, 93-79 while Klebokel outsmarting PPR, 92-88.
The leading scorers for the Aces were June with 14, Alex 14, Temaid 13, Jord 13 and Despedall 12.
Klebokel was led by Uchelas with 23, Marky 22 and Dluus 13.
Earlier on Monday, Kabong improved its record to 4-4 at the expense of On Fire, 72-69, with the latter further slipping to a 2-6 mark.
Jackson finished with 22, Cameron shot 16 and Ibtal had 14.
On Wednesday, the Rough Riders ousted Ngiwal Central 79-70. Joey led the assault for the Rough Riders, who are now 3-5 wile Ngiwal Central has 2-6.

Styxers snap Rivals' win run; Nationals did same to Islanders

THE Styxers and the National Team continued their winning ways to share the lead in Division I. With their wins, the two teams are now tied with 6-1 as they both snapped the victory runs of their respective opponents in separate occasions. The Styxers dealt defending champion Rivals their third defeat after seven games with a 94-82 count on Feb. 27. Una Rikrik continued to lead the Styxers' offense with 31 points while his brother Wallace finished with 19, Duo 18, Benny 12 and Roydan 10.
On the other hand, the National Team struggled before posting a 68-64 win against the 2005 champion Peleliu Islanders on Feb. 25. The leading scorers for the Nationals, whose players are from the different teams and are using this tournament as preparation to upcoming regional events, were Taka Gibbons with his 14, Chris Chiba 13, Douglas Schmidt and Perry Oiterong with 10 each. The Nationals will not be included in the playoff rounds.
In the other game on Monday, Surangel and Sons snapped a three-game losing skid by hammering out a 72-65 decision over the Breakers.
Surangel is now tied with the Rivals with 4-3 in fifth to sixth spots.
Also on Wednesday, 2006 title-holder Peched rebounded from a previous defeat by winning over Meda, 77-67.
With the victory, Peched is now tied with the Islanders at third to fourth with similar 5-2 records.

Helix, 79ers tie on top as Bullets lose to PCC

SHELL Helix and Ngiwal 79ers continued their winning rampage as they routed their respective opponents and remained undefeated in the Division II. Helix routed PPR Shark Attack, 103-69, on Feb. 23. Composed of the national junior team that competed in the recent Micronesian Youth Basketball Team, Helix is now 7-0 after the lopsided victory with Perry Oiterong scoring 21 points to lead four other players in double figures. Dembei Watanabe finished with 16, Bedor added 14, Chris Chiba and Shion chipped in 11 and 10.
PPR suffered its second straight and is now 4-4 in ninth spot.
But the loss of the Bullets to PCC Mesekiu, which prevailed with an 80-70 decision in their game also on Saturday, was the biggest story of the week. The Bullets and PCC are now tied with 7-1 behind Helix. Duffy and Chris led PCC with 17 and 16 points.
Another team still undefeated was Ngiwal 79ers, who leaned on Aladin's two free throws in the endgame to score a 75-74 victory over the Sam's Sharks on Feb. 21.
The win was the 79ers seventh in as many games while dealing Sam's its fourth setback in eight matches.
Kabong outplayed the Jaguars, 52-38, to improve its record to 3-4 and further buried the Jaguars into the bottom of the standings with 0-7.
On Feb. 22, the Airai Aces were led by Ilengel and Tkoel Iyechad, who both shot 17 points each, in a 95-70 win against the Meda Boys.
Also on Feb. 21, the Stingers bounced back from its loss in its previous game and climbed back to solo fifth with 6-1 as it outscored the Rough Riders, 101-68.
In Division I, the Ididers demolished the Ranchers, 110-82, as they got big points from Yutaka Gibbons (36), Ongor (28) and Gino Smau (25).
The Ididers stayed in sixth place with 4-1 while the Ranchers are in eighth with 2-5.

Nationals, Islanders, Styxers win to share Division I lead

THE Nationals Islanders, Styxers and the Nationals ousted their respective rivals to continue sharing the lead in Division I. The Nationals humbled 2006 champion Peched, 72-67 on Monday Feb. 18 to improved their record to 5-1, same as the Islanders and Styxers. Taka Gibbons led the assault with 19 while Norval added 13 and Perry Oiterong had 12. Composed of players from the different teams, the national team is using the tournament to prepare for upcoming international and regional tournament. The Nationals will not be part of the playoff round.
Rush led Peched with 26 while Sunshine Soalablai and Kiukl had 10 points each. Peched was relegated to fourth with 4-2.
Also on Monday, the 2005 champion Peleliu Islanders roared to their fourth consecutive victory against Surangel, 100-78.
Armando and Elizer scored 21 and 19 to carry the heavy load for the Islanders while Juvic San Juan and Kent Moore led Surangel with 33 and 24.
Surangel are now 3-3 in sixth.

The Styxers also streaked to their fourth win over the Ididers, 80-78, on Wednesday Feb. 20.
The loss was the Ididers' fourth in seven matches. Una Rikrik scored the second highest in a single game this season with his 36 points while his brother Wallace added 13. The current record this season is 37 owned by Jun Lanzuela of the Jaguars in Division II but the Jaguars remained winless after six assignments. The other result showed that the Breakers won over the Ikelauans, 86-72, on Feb. 20. It was only the second win for the Breakers as against four losses while the Ikelauans are still at the cellar with 0-7. Sobi led the Breakers with 17, Blelai had 15 and Vitores 12 while Young, and Earl and Baunt led the Ikelauans with 20, 20 and 19.

Bullets hit 7th straight win over N. Central

THE Bullets streaked to their seventh straight win over Ngiwal Central, 107-69, on Feb. 19 and seized the solo lead in Division II. Rush finished with 21 points to lead four others in double figures. Tgk had 21, Andy 17, Cool 12 and Tobel 10. The leading scorers for N. Central were Elint 20, Jay 15 and Poch 11. With the win, the Bullets are now 7-0. Two other teams that remained undefeated as of presstime last night are Helix and the 79ers, who are in second place with 6-0.
PCC Mesekiu defeated the Airwaves, 69-64, to climb to fourth place with 6-1. The Airwaves further slipped to a 1-6 record in 16th spot.
Patrick scored 14 to lead PCC. Edison added 11 while Crhis Carlos and Joseph had 10 each. Sherwin and Ruluked led the Airwaves with 22 and 16.
Mesang became the biggest surprise of the week when it picked up two straight victories after losing its first six games of the season.
Mesang beat the Airwaves, 94-84, on Monday Feb. 18 and escaped with a 73-71 decision over the Blue Sharks on Tuesday Feb. 19.
Tats led Mesang in the scoring chores on both games, 28 over the Airwaves and 18 over the Blue Sharks.
On Feb. 20, Klebokel rolled to its third straight victory over On Fire, 69-63. Klebokel is now 4-3 in ninth spot while On Fire absorbed its fifth defeat in seven outings. Uchelas and King led Klebokel with 19 and 12 while On Fire's offense was led by Jackson 14, Alston 13 and Mcguire 10.

Amazing Helix scores most points in NBL

SHELL Helix is a new team in the NBL but it has already achieved a lot of things at this early stage in the 2008 season.
After winning the pre-season league, Helix continued to become a force to reckon with, winning all its first six games in the first round of elimination in Division II.
Helix's latest victim was On Fire, 130-68, in their game on Valentines Day Thursday Feb. 14.
Its 130 is the most points by a team in a game and that amazing record did not just end there. The margin of 62 points in that same game is also a record.
With the victory, Helix is now tied with the Bullets and Ngiwal 79ers on top with 6-0.
Six Helix players finished with double digit scores - Perry Oiterong with 26, Bedor Kyota 23, Dembei Watanabe 18, Chris Chiba 14, Douglas Schmidt 11 and Melech 10.
Ngibtal had 23 for On fire, which dropped to a 2-4 win-loss record.
While Helix came up with an easy win, the Bullets struggled all night before coming home with a 97-93 triumph over an equally strong contender in the Stingers.
However, the Stingers slipped with a 5-1 record in a tie with PCC Mesekiu.
Joeger Supnet and Franky had 28 and 19 to lead the Bullets while Vann Isaac and Chris Soper led the Stingers with 24 and 22.
Ngiwal 79ers also joined the rampage by beating the Ngarchelong Blue Sharks, 72-69, on Friday Feb. 15.
Also on Feb. 15, the Rough Riders nailed their second win in six games over PPR, 67-60 and results of Saturday's games (Feb. 16), showed Kabong winning over the Meda Boys, 81-45 and the Airai Aces over Sam's Sharks 99-90.

Islanders, Styxers create four-way tie in Div.I

FORMER champion Peleliu Islanders and veteran campaigner Styxers won over their respective opponents on Friday night Feb. 15 to create a four-way logjam on top of the team standings in Division I. The Islanders outplayed the Ikelauans, 79-45, for their third straight win and are now 4-1, same as the Nationals, Peched and Styxers. On the other hand, the Ikelauans remained winless after six outings. Leading the brunt of attacks for the Islanders were Armando 17, Elizer 13, John 12 and Umedib 11 while the Ikelauans got 13 from Baunt, 12 from Earl and 11 from Wade.
Also scoring three consecutive wins were the Styxers, who slammed the Ranchers, 76-58. Una Rikrik and Duo led the Styxers with 16 apiece while Benny added 12.

PCC bounces back; Klebokel wins in 2 straight days

PCC Mesekiu was back on its winning form on Tuesday night Feb. 12 scoring a 69-66 decision over Ngiwal Central and stayed behind the early leaders in Division II. Duffy, Patrick and Joseph combined for 46 points for Mesekiu, which bounced back from its loss in its previous game and is now 5-1 in solo fifth. Four teams are tied on top with 5-0 records - Bullets, Stingers, Ngiwal 79ers and Shell Helix. The loss was Ngiwal Central's fourth in five outings.
On Feb. 11, On Fire posted its second victory in five games against the Rough Riders, 63-55. Jackson led On fire with 17 while Cameron and Ngibtal chipped in 14 and 12. The Roughh Riders absorbed their fourth loss as against a lone win.

Also on Tuesday, the Sam's Sharks won their fourth win in six games with a 74-59 drubbing off Kabong, which dropped to a 1-4 record.
Klebokel escaped with a 65-63 win past the Meda Boys, also on Feb. 12. The Meda Boys are now 1-4.
Uchelas scored a game high of 24 points as Klebokel won in two straight days by beating the Jaguars, 75-64. King Ngiraboi and Deluus also added 17 and 12 points, respectively for Klebokel, which is now 3-3 while the Jaguars have yet to score their first win after six assignments.

Rivals, Peched continue winning rampage

THE top two teams last year continued their winning rampage as they defeated a team that previously held the early lead in Division I in separate occasions. The defending champion Ngermid Rivals beat Surangel and Sons, 91-74, on Feb. 11 to climb to solo third place with a 4-2 win-loss record behind the 4-1 of pacesetters Peched and the Nationals. Spis Gordon led the Rivals to their fourth straight win while Javis Pedro and Itol added 14 each and Scout Matsutaro 13. Arnold Undecimo and JV San Juan shot 22 and 19 for Surangel.
Peched 104, Surangel 73
On Feb. 13, last year's runner-up Peched dealt Surangel another big blow, a 104-73 lopsided contest. Sunshine Soalablai led Peched with 27 points as the team posted their third consecutive victory in five games while dealing Surangel its third straight setback and is now in a tie with the Ididers in sixth to seventh places. Delong, Tony and Melngis added 17, 13 and 11 for Peched while Undecimo led Surangel anew with a game high of 26.
Also on Feb. 13, the Ididers improved its record to 3-3 by winning over Meda, 96-76. Taka Gibbons led the Ididers with 29, Gino Smau 24 and Ongor 17. The loss was Meda's fourth in five matches.
Another perennial title contenders slowly gaining their ground are the 2005 champion Islanders, who outsmarted the Breakers, 73-41. The Islanders are now 3-1 in a tie with the Styxers in fourth to fifth places. The Breakers, on the other hand, slipped to a 1-4 card in 10th position.

Nationals barge on top of Division I standings

THE Nationals completely outgunned the Ididers, 91-68, on Feb, 8 to barge into the top of the standings in Division I. Composed of the top players from different teams competing in the league and as part of Palau's preparations for upcoming international tournaments, the Nationals are now 4-1. Javis Pedro led the Nationals with 21, Lyndon Ngiramolau added 17 and Perry Oiterong and Topps Sungino had 11.
Also slowly gaining its clout is 2006 champion Peched, which scored an easy 90-62 win over the Ikelauans. Peched created a three-way logjam behind the pacesetter with 3-1, same as Surangel and the Styxers.
In Division II play, four teams humbled their respective opponents to share the lead with similar 5-0 records. Shell Helix tamed the Jaguars, 82-56, the Ngiwal 79ers outshone Mesang, 65-50, the Bullets beat PPR, 87-69 and the Stingers defeated PCC, 77-72.
The Blue Sharks also won over Airai, 95-82 for its fourth in fifth in a tie with PCC. The Airwaves booked their first win of the league with a 89-86 count over Ngiwal Central and both teams are now 1-4.

Helix wins by 50 over Meda Boyz

PLAYING like a well-oiled machine, pre-season champion and tournament sponsor Shell Helix booked the season's most lopsided win, a 50-point margin on Feb. 5. Helix overpowered the Meda Boyz, 86-36, to join four other undefeated teams as of Wednesday night. National Player Bedor Kyota led five others in double figures with his 20 points while getting help from Douglas Schmidt Sione (14), Perry Oiterong (13) and Dembei Watanabe 12. The win created a five-way tie on top that also included the Bullets, PC Mesekiu, Stingers and Ngiwal 79ers with similar 4-0 records.
79ers 70, Airwaves 50
Also on Tuesday, the Ngiwal 79ers outplayed the Airwaves, 70-50, to make their presence felt. While the 79ers maintain a clean record, the Airwaves remained winless after four outings. Aldan and Marlon led the 79ers with 14 points each while Sherwin and Ruluked had 12 and 10 for the Airwaves.
Earlier on Feb. 4, the Stingers prevailed over Ngiwal Central, 101-88, to join the fray. It was the third straight setback for Ngiwal Central in four matches. Vann Isaac and Lovlinson led the Stingers with 17 and 16 points while Poch and Jeremy scored 18 each for Central.
In the other game on Tuesday, the Sam's Sharks won in overtime against Klebokel, 78-70. Regulation play ended at 64-all before the Sharks scored their third win in five games and dealt Klebokel its third defeat in four outings. RJ Luthog led the Shark's attacks with 26 and Anloyd Samuel added 22. Deeban and Tito scored 21 and 14 for Klebokel.
The Rough Riders finally barged into the win column with a 54-51 decision over the Jaguars on Wednesday night. With the win the newcomer Rough Riders snapped a three-game losing skid while the Jaguars remained winless after four outings. Akuk led the Rough Riders with 17, Kitani had 12 and Joey 10.

Ididers whip Surangel; Rivals rollover Ikelauans

THE Ididers finally got its rhythm by winning over the previously unbeaten Surangel, 89-86, Feb. 4 in Division I play. It was the second straight win for the Ididers after losing their first two games of the season. But they are still in seventh place with a 2-2 win-loss record. Gino Smau and JR led the Ididers with 23 and 21 while Taka Gibbons added 18 and Maui had 10. Jay Naguit led Surnagel with 22 while Kent Moore and Arnold Undecimo chipped in 18 apiece. Despite the loss, Surangel is still in the lead with a 3-1 card, same as the Nationals and Styxers.
Also on Feb. 4, the defending champion Rivals scored their third consecutive victory after dropping their first two assignments.
Scout Matsutaro had a team high of 18 points to lead the Rivals in overshadowing the Ikelauans, 92-61. Spis Gordon, King Ngiraboi also finished with 14 and 13, respectively for the Rivals while Javis Pedro and Bontz had 10 each. Bant and Moch led the Ikeluans with 18 and 11.
On Feb. 6, Peched won over the Breakers, 75-71. It was Peched's second win in three games while the Breakers slipped to a 1-3 mark in ninth place. Sunshine Soalablai led Peched with 20, Mele had 16, Kalei Luii 14 and Russ 10. Halley led three other Brekaers with double-digit scores. Bins shot 13 while Josh and Blez had 12 each.

Bullets, PCC share lead

THE Bullets and PCC Mesekiu defeated their respective opponents to share the lead in Division II. On Jan. 31, the Bullets rolled to their fourth win in as many games by beating On Fire, 95-87. Joger Supnet and Rush led the Bullets with 19 and 18 points while Franky and Tobel added 12 and 11. Jaxon, Ngibatal and Alston had 24, 22 and 13 for On Fire, which dropped to a 1-3 record in 11th place.
PCC Mesekiu was also in a rampage after coming up with a lopsided 96-64 triumph over Palau Pacific Resort on Saturday Feb. 2.
Joseph led PCC with 17 and Duffy chipped in 14.
Thus, PCC and the Bullets have identical 4-0 cards on top.
Also on Jan 31, the Meda Boys (1-2) booked their first win via a 50-48 decision over the Rough Riders (0-3). Lansang had 15 and Spyce 10 for Meda while Augustine and Joey led the Rough Riders with 15 and 12.
Shell Helix remained undefeated with 3-0, same as the Stingers and Ngiwal 79ers. Bedor Kyota finished the game with 26 points, Perry Oiterong had 20 and Chris Chiba 16. The one-two punch of PPR, Anloyd Samuel RJ Luthog, shot 30 and 18, respectively.
On Feb. 1, the Ngarchelong Blue Sharks outlasted Kabong in overtime, 85-77. Regulation play ended at 73-all but the Blue Sharks outscored Kabong 12-4 in the extra period for their third victory in four outings. Kabong absorbed its third defeat in four games. Palmer scored 16, Visa 14, Moses 13 and Five 10. Traxx led Kabong with 25.
In the other game on Feb. 2, the Airai Aces demolished Mesang, 93-79, for their third win in four matches. Mesang, on the other hand, further slipped to a 0-5 record. Despe led the Aces with 18, Tkoel added 17 and Smull 13. Bevan had a game high of 30 while Clint had 19 for Mesang.

PCC, 79ers, Stingers slam opponents

THREE teams, PCC Mesekiu, Ngiwal 79ers and the Stingers, continued their winning ways in Division II.
PCC lorded over On Fire, 85-68, in the two teams' match on Jan. 28.
Edison led in the scoring chores with 23 as PCC also got big points from Duffy and Bradly, who finished the game with 11 points apiece.
Jaxon and Cameron had 25 and 21 for On Fire.
With the win PCC joined four other teams with a 3-0 win-loss record in the tournament lead along with the Bullets, Stingers and the Ngiwal 79ers.
On Jan 29, the 79ers completely outshone the Airai Aces, 92-72.
Carson led the assault with 25, Mooney had 18 and Laban 11 while Despe had a team high of 20 for Airai, June aded 17 and Shmull 12.
On Wednesday Jan 30, the Stingers humbled the Airwaves, 91-85, with Garth Backe drilling in 15 points, while Vann Isaac finished with 13 and Lovelinson 10. Robert led the Airwaves with 23, Ruluked 14 and Singeo and Etitel had 12 each.
Also on Jan 29, Kabong beat Mesang, 74-57, for its first victory of the season.
Mesang absorbed its fourth defeat in as many games. Traxx carried the heavy load for Kabong, Om had 13 and Robert 10.
Bevan led Mesang with 19.
Palau Pacific Resort rebounded with a 65-62 decision at the expense of Ngiwal Central, also on Jan 39.
PPR is now tied with Airai, Blue Sharks and Sam's Sharks with similar 2-1 marks.
It was the Airwaves third straight loss.

Surangel keeps clean 3-0 slate

SURANGEL and Sons remained the only undefeated team in Division I by beating the Ranchers, 91-84, on Jan. 28.
The win was Surangel's third in as many games that also created a four-way tie among the Ranchers, Nationals, Islanders and Styxers, all have 2-1 records. Arnold Undecimo led Surangel with 27 while Jayvee San Juan added 17, Jay Naguiot 15 and Kent Moore 14.
Shannon led the Ranchers with 26, OJ Johnson had 18, Kinz 11 and Emerik 10.
Also on Jan 28, the Styxers issued the Nationals their first defeat via an 85-82 count.
Brothers Wallace and Una Rikrik led the Styxers' offense with 32 and 22 while Dwight Lemei chipped in 19.
Javis Pedro had 28 while Ziske Asanuma and Perry Oiterong had 14 each for the Nationals, whose players were chosen from all the participating teams but they are not part of the play-off round.
Players will play with their mother teams if their mother teams are scheduled against the Nationals.
On Jan 30, the Ididers outplayed the Ikelauans, 78-60 to improve their record to 1-2.
With the loss, the Ikelauans stayed at the bottom of the 11-team field Division I with a 3-0 slate.
Aslo on Jan. 30, the defending champion Rivals scored their second win of the season after dropping their first two assignments.
The Rivals won over the Breakers, 77-61, with Javis Pedro leading the way with 20 while Scout Matsutaro and Spis Gordon had 16 each.

Bullets seize solo lead in Division II

THE Bullets defeated the Jaguars, 84-75, on Jan. 26 to seize the solo lead in Division II.
Franky Kuchad led the Bullets offensive thrust with 17 markers and the team is now 3-0 on top of the heap.
Five teams are currently tied in second place with 2-0 that included PCC Mesekiu, pre-season champion Shell Helix, Stingers, Airai and Ngiwal 79ers.
In another game, Garth Backe and Chris Soper scored 24 and 21 points, respectively to lead the Stingers to a 110-75 blowout against Palau Pacific Resort on Jan. 24. The loss was PPR's first defeat after winning its first game of the season.
On the other hand, the Ngiwal 79ers defeated Kabong, 83-71, also on Jan 24.
The 79ers got big points from Carson Silil (20) and Marlon (17).
It was Kabong's second loss in two starts.
The one-two punch of the Sam's Sharks, Anloyd Samuel and RJ Luthog proved their prowess anew as they finished with 23 and 20 points in a 63-56 win over the Rough Riders. The Rough Riders are now 0-2 after the defeat.
Also on Jan. 25, the Airai Aces stormed to their second consecutive win via a 97-73 count over the Airwaves.
Ruluked Temengil finsihed with 25, Madaob Mersai had 16 for the Aces.
Despedall Ridpath had a night high of 34 for the Airwaves winning effort.
The Aiwaves are still trying to score their first win of the season after two games.
The Ngarchelong Blue Sharks escaped with a 63-62 win over Ngermid Klebokel on Jan. 26.
Moses Bismarck and Visa Demei had 16 and 14 for the Blue Sharks, who are now tied with Sam's Sharks with 2-1 records.
Klebokel is tied with PPR, Ngiwal Central and On Fire with 1-1.

Islanders, Nationals beat foes

THE 2005 champion Peleliu Islanders roared to their second straight win at the expense of 2005 champion Peched.
Elizer Elwais scored 24 points to lead the Islanders, who prevailed with a 75-61 count that created a three-way tie on top in the Division I.
The Islanders joined Surangel & Sons and the Ranchers in the lead with similar 2-0 records.
Kelutel Teruo and Umedip Soalablai added 13 and 12 points for the Islanders while Sunchine Soalablai and Kalson Dulei led Peched with 19 and 18.
Earlier in the same night, the Nationals proved their lofting billing by scoring an 88-73 win over Meda.
Taka Gibbons and Ziske Asanuma led the assault with 13 and 10 while Bedor Kyota, Wallace Rikrik and Chris Chiba had nine points each.
Vance Polycarp had a night high of 29 for Meda. Edson Chokai added 13, Jeff Tkel and Clint Mersai had 11.
Peched is now tied with the Styxers and the Iders with 1-1 cards while the loss was Meda's second in as many games.

Peched starts season with OT win vs. Rivals

PECHED won in overtime against the defending champion Rivals, 83-76, in the opening tiff of the 2008 season of the Shell National Basketball League on Jan. 14 at the Palau National Gymnasium.
Peched, which won the 2006 season but lost the crown to the Rivals last year, got a lift from Melngis Uchel as he shot the last four points in the extra period and finished the game with 13 points while 2007 GBL MVP Sunshine Soalablai came-up with 22 markers.
Regulation play ended at 69-all.
In the second game, Surangel defeated Meda, 77-69.
In the other Division I game on Jan. 16, the 2005 champion Peleliu Islanders won over the Ididers, 84-72 while the Styxers prevailed over the Ikelauans, 88-63.
In Division II, the Ngarchelong Blue Sharks struck their first win of the season with a masterful 66-47 victory at the expense of the Rough Riders on Tuesday while the Bullets joined the march with a hard-earned 79-73 win against Sam's Sharks.
Also on Tuesday, pre-season champion Shell Helix asserted its lofty billing by walloping Mesang, 96-70 and on Wednesday, PCC Mesekiu also barged into the win column by scoring the biggest margin against the Meda Boyz, 92-47.