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THE Astumbo gymnasium was filled with family and friends who came to support their respective teams in the 2012 Guam Youth Basketball Association (GYBA) Youth Basketball League.

Last night marked the opening night in the U16 division for the Asan Rai and ASC Islanders Asut. Both teams were looking to get their season started on a good note. At the end of the match, it was the Rai who picked up their first win after cruising to a 46-10 victory.

Asan wasted no time setting the tempo of the game on both sides of the floor. It took less than 10 seconds for the game’s first points to post on the board as Jaron Weilbacher converted a layup for the early 2-0 lead.

The Rai immediately went to a full-court pressure defense that forced the Islanders to commit several costly errors. Asan took advantage of their successful defense and eventually built a 16-0 lead. The Islanders were able to put a halt to the run as Glen Aguella nailed a jump-shot right at the sound of the buzzer to end the opening period.

Second-quarter action was much like the first as Asan continued to be relentless on defense. Led by nine combined points by Christian Lopez and Adrian Mendiola, the Rai were able to extend their lead to 25-2. Despite being down double-digits, the Islanders continued to play hard which eventually paid dividends before halftime. ASC’s Joseph Mejares and Simon Mandapat found the bottom of the net to cut the Rai lead to 25-6 heading into the break.

After returning from the break, things looked positive in the first two minutes of the third quarter for the Islanders as they held Asan scoreless. However, after returning from a timeout called, it was all Rai once again as they closed out the period with a 14-2 run that was led by Weilbacher’s seven points. In the final period, the Islanders were able to add two points to their tally on a beautiful bank shot by Mandapat. That was all the offense that ASC could muster while Asan added seven more points to their game total.

The Rai’s Weilbacher led all scorers with a game-high 13 points, while teammate Mendiola added six. GYBA action resumes this Saturday with games scheduled throughout the day at both the Astumbo and Yigo gymnasiums.

Other results

• Yellow Jackets defeated Mavs, 27-18.
• Crusaders defeated Islanders Betde, 30-9.