By James Sablan
james@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
WHEN it came down to the wire, JTM proved to be the better team as they secured a nail-biting 53-47 victory over Protech during a game in the U18 Division of the Madflex-E Sports Unity Cup U18 Basketball Tour 2025 at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
It was a fairly even matchup throughout both halves.
JTM relied on a balanced attack, with Tengco leading the assault within the first 10 minutes of the opening half, putting up eight points, while Castillo and Guttierez later took over the spotlight with their two-man game.
Protech, for their part, showcased their range with a bombardment of three-pointers — highlighted by T. Joab sinking three treys, with extra support from DJ Joab and Franklin to stay close going into the halftime break.
Both teams continued their offensive rhythm as they progressed through the second half.
Protech remained effective from beyond the arc as Jonas joined the long-range onslaught alongside Franklin and T. Joab. However, their valiant effort fell just short.
JTM’s ability to thrive in transition — turning defense into offense, with key support coming off the bench — proved decisive. During the last five minutes of the game, they managed to establish a comfortable lead thanks to crucial back-to-back buckets by Caraig and Balignasay.
Protech’s Omelau was forced to use his fouls in a final attempt to keep the game alive, but JTM stayed composed, maintained great ball movement, and ran away with the 53-47 win.
First win
Claiming the first win of the night was Unity Trade, which outplayed New Summit, 65-50.
Unity Trade’s Javier and New Summit’s Santos led the highlight reel with 26 and 24 points, respectively.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
