POSTED BY: Eurobasket Center
With 2019 Pacific Games qualification up for grabs, everything was on the line for national basketball teams at the 2018 Micronesia Games.
Yap, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) hosted the tournament with competing men's and women's teams from Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Northern Marianas, Palau, Guam and four states from Micronesia including, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Chuuk and Yap.
In the men's competition Guam went through the tournament undefeated to win gold against Marshall Islands (86-72), while Pohnpei were triumphant in their match against Palau in a nailbiter to claim the bronze medal (59-57).
The All Star 5 were awarded to Glen Torres (Pohnpei), Willie Stinnett (GUM), Yuyacoby Santos (CNMI), Yuuzi Maddison (RMI), Carson Olkerriil (PLW).
The Guam men's team went on to win back-to-back Pacific Games titles in 2019, having won previously in 2015, to then go on and qualify for the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers without dropping a match. Their qualification hopes were dashed by Chinese Taipei after a plus three aggregate win in August 2021.
Will Guam remain dominant in 2022 and begin their journeys to the Pacific Games and beyond to the FIBA World Cup? Or will Palau, Northern Marianas and Micronesia bring the heat and start a fairy-tale like no other?
Source: FIBA
