Geckos' Osborn pours in 29 points, leads Public School to inter-league all-star championship

With one final high school basketball game on the calendar, the Southern Shooters Basketball Club hosted the 1st Anniversary Invitational and All-Star Game Sunday morning at the University of Guam. Featuring many of the best student-athletes from the Guam Department of Education Interscholastic Sports Association and the Independent Interscholastic Athletic Association of Guam, Public School defeated Private School 98-94. Throughout the first three quarters, Public School dominated play. As George Washington High School’s Daran Treltas and David-Jay Osborn, John F. Kennedy High School’s Darwin Ecijan and Okkodo High School’s Robby Haggard powered the Public Team’s offense. In the third quarter, 10 consecutive points from Ecijan, which included a trio of free throws, two baskets and a shot from beyond the arc, gave Public School a 13-point lead (77-64.) But with a team loaded with marquis players, such as Father Duenas Memorial School’s Noah Tenorio, Noah Cruz and Colin Baker, and Guam High School’s Cameron Brantley, Private School tied the game at 87-all. Brantley, who finished with a game-high 33 points, made the game-tying layup. With two minutes remaining in regulation, lax defense, which is often the case in all-star games, led to quick, transition buckets. Down the stretch, two layups from Osborn lifted the GDOE ISA squad to a four-point advantage. Osborn, who scored 10 of his team-high 29 points in the period, unleashed a strong 360-degree layup and a power move to the hole. Osborn, who scored at least five points in each quarter, was encouraged to score. “I just came in the gym feeling confident, so my coach kept telling me to go to the rim,” he said. Osborn said that it meant a lot to him to be chosen as an all-star. “I thank God for giving me this opportunity to play all-star,” he said. “I'm really blessed to be chosen to play on this team.” Still, despite having trailed by two possessions, Brantley gave Private School hope. After he made a pair of free throws, for which he was a nearly perfect 7-of-8 from the charity stripe, and made another layup, Private School shot their way back into the game. With less than 30 seconds remaining, the Public School lead shrunk to three points. And with Hack-a-Shaq defense in full effect, where Private Team was forced to foul, stop the clock and hope for the best, Tiyan High School’s Ethan Crisostomo was sent to the free throw line. Whereas one made free throw would have iced the game, both attempts rimmed out. With a glimmer of hope, Notre Dame High School’s Rayne Cornelius had a good look at a 3-point basket but was unable to convert. Quickly, after another foul, Haggard was awarded the possible-coffin-nailing free throws. After swishing the first but missing the second, Public School walked off the court victorious.
Courtesy of: postguam.com