Punjab boys fall to TN

Indervir Grewal

Tribune News Service

ludhiana, October 9

Hosts Punjab ceded their title after a close defeat to Tamil Nadu in the final of the Junior Basketball Nationals here today.

After chasing Tamil Nadu for almost the entire match, Punjab found themselves leading 86-84 in the final minute of the game. But despite all the roaring home support for Punjab, Tamil Nadu showed a lot of composure and tactical superiority to win 91-86.

Despite their favourites tag in today’s match, which was more because of the favourable home support, the defending champions were dethroned by the quicker, better-organised Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu were able to break the Punjab defence with considerable ease. They scored many more two-pointers than Punjab, splitting the opposition defence with their quick rotation and passing, apart from some piercing drive-ins. But it was their discipline in defence that made the difference. Their tight marking and packed defence forced Punjab to rely more on the three-pointers. Only Rahul Mehta, who had been the top-performer for Punjab throughout, was able to find a way past the Tamil Nadu defence.

“Our main focus was on defence and to play as a unit. Punjab was a strong team and they had the height advantage. So we had to be disciplined in defence, and that made the difference in the last 40 seconds,” said Tamil Nadu coach James.

As in their semifinal against Delhi, Punjab fell behind right from the beginning. But while Delhi declined as the match progressed, Tamil Nadu were consistent throughout. Their slumps were few and short-lasting – Punjab led only a couple of times. The last time they did, following a spirited fightback from being 10 points behind, the lead lasted only a few seconds in the fag end. Trailing 84-86, Tamil Nadu’s playmaker S Kalidass, the shortest in their team, showed a lot of heart to sink two free-throws, both clean through, despite the deafening roar.

Then a crucial steal gave Tamil Nadu a three-point lead – a two-pointer and a free-throw. With a couple of seconds left on the clock, Tamil Nadu again got two free-throws, ending Punjab’s hopes and winning their first title since 2011.

Chhattisgarh keep title

Chhattisgarh pulled off a highly improbable win over Karnataka to defend their title after trailing throughout the match. A string of three-pointers in the final minutes of the match helped Chhattisgarh win 67-63 after being behind by almost 15 points. The Karnataka girls, cheered by the Karnataka boys in an otherwise empty stadium, played one of their best matches. Karnataka, who had lost to the same team by almost 20 points in their pool game, fought hard right from the first minute.

They fired in three-pointers – predominantly by India player HM Bhandavya – to take a 13-point lead by the end of the first quarter. With such a huge lead, Karnataka played to their strategy, keeping a 10-point lead throughout. But, nearing the end, Chhattisgarh sank eight three-pointers, including four by captain Riya Verma and three by India player Vandana.