Services edge out Kerala to enter semis
Last year’s runners-up Services tethered on the brink but pulled up their socks in the nick of time to beat front-running Kerala 88-77 and enter the men’s semifinals of the 62nd Senior National basketball championships here on Thursday.
Also entering the penultimate round were Punjab who crushed Haryana 117-59, and will take on title holders Indian Railways who put out Delhi 100-93 in extra-time after the teams were deadlocked at 85-85 at the end of regulation period.
The other men’s semifinals will be between Services and Tamil Nadu or Uttarakhand.
Results (Quarterfinals): Men: Punjab: 117 (Talwinder Singh 26, Amritpal Singh 23) bt Haryana: 59 (Deepak Rathee 28, Hemant Sheoran 11). HT: 69-35; Indian Railways: 100 (Gagandeep Singh 34, Prakash Mishra 23, Dilawar Singh 18, Sunil Kumar 12) bt Delhi: 93 (Praveen Doval 32, Vipin Kaushin 16, Pardeep Kumar 16, Sachin Sharma 13). HT: 39-38; Services: 88 (Praveen Kumar 24, Narender Grewal 22) bt Kerala: 77 (Ajith VG 19, Monish Wilson 17). HT: 31-38.
Women: Indian Railways: 102 (S Kokila 16, Renu Maurya 14, Harjeet Kaur 14) bt Karnataka: 32 (Sandhyam 5, Amruta VMane 5). HT: 46-18; Chhattisgarh: 78 (Kavita 23, Seema Singh 18) bt Kerala: 65 (Jeena.PS 23, Soniya Joy 11, Surya PR 11). HT: 36-23; Delhi: 76 (Pratima Singh 30, Prashanti Singh 17, Sonkia Ohlyan 12) bt Uttar Pradesh: 49 (Ranjana Singh 21). HT: 39-13; Tamil Nadu: 79 (Neena Hareendran 18, Alagu Tamil Mozhi 12, N.Shyamala Suguna J 11) bt Maharashtra: 51 (Shireen Limaye 12, Kritika Divakar 11). HT: 41-17.
