Sports
Far East basketball - Day 2St. Paul boys, girls look formidable
Stars and Stripes
February 22, 2011
Daegu American's Kierra Pineda has her path to the basket blocked by Janine Yates of Morrison Academy during Tuesday's pool-play game in the Far East High School Girls Division II Basketball Tournament at Warrior Gym, Daegu American School, Camp George, South Korea. Defending champion Daegu routed Morrison 46-30. (Hana Noguchi/Special to Stars and Stripes)
Daegu American's Kierra Pineda has her path to the basket blocked by Janine Yates of Morrison Academy during Tuesday's pool-play game in the Far East High School Girls Division II Basketball Tournament at Warrior Gym, Daegu American School, Camp George, South Korea. Defending champion Daegu routed Morrison 46-30. (Hana Noguchi/Special to Stars and Stripes)
Daegu American's Sarah Wright (10) drives to the basket around Paulili Park of Morrison Academy during Tuesday's pool-play game in the Far East High School Girls Division II Basketball Tournament at Warrior Gym, Daegu American School, Camp George, South Korea. Defending champion Daegu routed Morrison 46-30. (Hana Noguchi/Special to Stars and Stripes)
International School of the Sacred Heart's Lucy Prout (11) drives to the basket past Christian Garner of Zama American during Tuesday's pool-play game in the Far East High School Girls Division II Basketball Tournament at Warrior Gym, Daegu American School, Camp George, South Korea. ISSH beat Zama 24-12. (Hana Noguchi/Special to Stars and Stripes)
Morrison Academy's Sean Robinson (12) is bottled up by Jarel "Tank" Connie and Lee Wright (15) during Tuesday's pool-play game in the Far East High School Boys Division II Basketball Tournament at Warrior Gym, Daegu American School, Camp George, South Korea. Two-time defending champion Morrison routed Daegu 42-9. (Hana Noguchi/Special to Stars and Stripes)
Anissa Fitz of Kadena shoots behind a screen set by teammate Mariah Harris during Tuesday's pool-play game in the Far East High School Girls Division I Basketball Tournament at Charles King Fitness & Sports Center, Naval Base Guam. Kadena won 50-20. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kadena's Shari Moss puts up a shot as John F. Kennedy's Jennifer Abrincia watches during Tuesday's pool-play game in the Far East High School Girls Division I Basketball Tournament at Charles King Fitness & Sports Center, Naval Base Guam. Kadena won 50-20. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Liz Gleaves (5) of Seoul American drives past Notre Dame's Mariana Crisostomo during Tuesday's pool-play game in the Far East High School Girls Division I Basketball Tournament at Charles King Fitness & Sports Center, Naval Base Guam. Seoul American won 81-51. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Seoul American's Liz Gleaves shoots over Mariana (3) and Taylor Crisostomo of Notre Dame during Tuesday's pool-play game in the Far East High School Girls Division I Basketball Tournament at Charles King Fitness & Sports Center, Naval Base Guam. Seoul American won 81-51. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Trinity Davis of Yokota goes up for a fast-break layup ahead of Southern's Anjelica Reyes during Tuesday's pool-play game in the Far East High School Girls Division I Basketball Tournament at Charles King Fitness & Sports Center, Naval Base Guam. Yokota won 42-23. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Robert D. Edgren's Mert Baysal puts up a shot against Yongsan International-Seoul during Tuesday's pool-play game in the Far East High School Boys Division II Basketball Tournament at Kelly Fitness & Sports Center, Camp Walker, South Korea. Edgren beat YIS-Seoul 54-47. (Erika Brun/Special to Stars and Stripes)
Yongsan International-Seoul's Anthony Kim takes the ball to the basket against Robert D. Edgren's Christian Weldon (14) during Tuesday's pool-play game in the Far East High School Boys Division II Basketball Tournament at Kelly Fitness & Sports Center, Camp Walker, South Korea. Edgren beat YIS-Seoul 54-47. (Erika Brun/Special to Stars and Stripes)
St. Paul Christian's John Mangonon (5) pulls down a rebound amid three Matthew C. Perry players during Tuesday's pool-play game in the Far East High School Boys Division II Basketball Tournament at Kelly Fitness & Sports Center, Camp Walker, South Korea. St. Paul beat M.C. Perry 41-28. (Erika Brun/Special to Stars and Stripes)
St. Paul Christian's Kory Borja (24) dribbles against John Ayers and Tairi Battig of Matthew C. Perry during Tuesday's pool-play game in the Far East High School Boys Division II Basketball Tournament at Kelly Fitness & Sports Center, Camp Walker, South Korea. St. Paul beat M.C. Perry 41-28. (Michelle Fox/Special to Stars and Stripes)
While defending champions Daegu American and Morrison Academy breezed into the Division II playoffs as top seeds, they kept an eye on a small, but fleet team from Guam that could pose a threat to their respective Far East basketball titles.
St. Paul Christian of Guam, whose boys have two D-II crowns to their credit, ran the table in both boys and girls Pool B, each earning a first-round playoff bye and the respect of at least one coach.
“They’re fast. They’re gifted athletes,” coach Michelle Chandler of defending girls champion Daegu American said about St. Paul. “They have a high-speed game, intense, up-tempo with good outside shooting.”
While the Warriors boys are in the midst of their Independent Interscholastic Athletic Association of Guam season, the girls don’t begin regular play until April, making this in effect a preseason tournament for them.
That may be the greatest disadvantage for the girls, Chandler said, adding that to stop the Warriors boys or girls, “you have to control the tempo against them. Teams like that, a lot of their offense comes from their defense in transition.”
Opponents said similar things about defending girls Division I champion Seoul American in terms of transition points. But rather than make adjustments on the floor, a team’s mental state might be the most important thing in preparing for the Falcons, one player said.
“They go out there with their heads held high, they intimidate other teams, other players; nobody is saying ‘we know our team can beat them,’ ” said Guam junior national team player Joni Tedpahogo of Notre Dame. “You have to go on the court and not be afraid of them.”
While those three tournaments appeared to have clear-cut leaders heading into Wednesday’s playoffs, a consensus of coaches declared the boys Division I tournament a “toss-up” between pool winners Seoul American, Kubasaki, Yokota and defending champion Kadena, with perhaps Hong Kong International waiting in the wings if one of them stumbles.
Guam High coach Joe Taitano said he likes Hong Kong’s guard play and balance, Kubasaki’s quickness and ability to change tempo and Seoul’s pedigree; coach Steve Boyd has three titles to his credit.
“It’s going to be a battle between those three,” Taitano said.
Injuries, Boyd said, make a big difference when playoff time comes around. “Sometimes it comes down to attrition,” he said. “Those with a deeper bench have the advantage. Injuries are part of the game, and if a star or two go down, that would be a huge blow.”
Yokota coach Tim Pujol pointed to the first day of Pool B as an example of how one never knows what might happen on the court: Father Duenas Memorial of Guam beat Kadena, which in overtime edged American School In Japan, which routed Simon Sanchez, which beat Father Duenas.
Then, in Pool C, “Guam High is down by 20 to Okkodo and takes them to triple overtime. I mean, who knows?” Pujol said.