The American Samoa Under-19 Boys National Basketball team played Team Samoa with the winning team advancing to the Gold medal round in the B Division in the FIBA Under-19 Oceania Basketball championship taking place this week in Suva, Fiji. In a close and hardly fought game, Team Samoa 68-63 downed American Samoa boys.

American Samoa had three players scoring in the double digits when Michael Pa’aga put in 13 to lead the team, while Fuaoletoelau Fiti added 12 points along with 12 rebounds as Esene Alai’a had 11 points.

After their loss to Samoa, Team American Samoa played Fiji for the Bonze medal in the B Division and once again, the American Samoa team fell victim as the Fijians stepped up their play and earned the Bronze in the by a score of 55-47.

Esene Alai’a once again had a good game for American Samoa when he scored 12 points, but unfortunately in a losing effort. “It was a hard fought game from the start to the end. The team was great, but unfortunately we could not convert on free throws and open lay-ups. The team is in good spirits,” said head coach of the American Samoa team Diehl Langkilde to Samoa News via email.

The American Samoa Under-19 Girls took last place overall when they lost their last game of the championships to Team Samoa by a score of 48-36. Even though the American Samoa girls did not win a game in the championships, they did however, improve throughout the week playing better with each game.

In their last game against Samoa, four American Samoa girls were in double digits. Regina Tautolo and Fairlyn Kelemete both scored 10 points each, while teammates Teriana Iafeta pulled down a big 16 rebounds followed by Kadrenna Velega who had 11 rebounds.

In the Boys Division it was powerhouses Australia and New Zealand playing for the Gold in Boys A. Due to the time of the game, Samoa News was not able get the score but will be printing the score in Monday’s sports edition. With those Oceania powerhouse teams battling it for the Gold and Silver medals in the Boys A, it was New Caledonia taking the Bronze medal when they defeated Tahiti yesterday by a score of 63-56. In the Boys B, Guam earned the Gold medal when they downed Team Samoa with a score of 95-74 giving Samoa the Silver with Fiji taking the Bronze.

In the Girls Division Team Australia faced off against the New Zealand for the Gold in the Girls A. Just as the Boys A Gold medal game, the Girls A Gold medal game also started at a later hour. Samoa News will also be bringing the score of this game in Monday’s sports edition.

Guam was able to take the Bronze in the Girls A when they defeated Tahiti by a score of 54-48. In the Girls B, New Caledonia earned the Gold with a victory over Papua New Guinea with a score of 65-38, handing Papua New Guinea a Silver medal. Host team Fiji earned Bronze in the Girls B when they downed the Solomon Islands by a score of 87-47.