HILARY HOSIA
Like many years past, it rained cats and dogs hours before the 17th Bank of Marshall Islands Ralik Ratak Shootout kicked off last Friday at the Staff Sergeant Solomon Sam Sports Center at the College of Marshall Islands. Following four days of back-to-back action, Lae placed itself on top of the food chain in the men’s division following victories over Ailinglaplap (78-63) and Aur (119-66). Mili made a tremendous entrance in the tournament by scoring 107 in its first game against Utrok (51) Monday. Trailing behind Lae and Mili is another powerhouse Majuro, which dismantled Maloelap by 80-45 during opening game. In the women’s division, Lae proved to be a force to watch out for following its victory over a strong Aur. Aur made a comeback Tuesday by defeating Jaluit, 39-29. The season also saw the return of Team Ailuk in the women’s bracket. Unfortunately, Ailuk lost its first match against a stronger Maloelap team, 60-25.
Read more about this in the September 29, 2017 edition of the Marshall Islands Journal.