The two best college teams in the Bangalore gave the capacity crowd some special moments on a weekend day. Josephites defence stood rock solid shunting any chance for Jain forwards to make an easy way for the basket. SJCC forwards, on the other hand, kept the score board ticking to take a 11-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Point-guard and player of the tournament Varun AR capitalised the scoring chances in the first quarter.
SBMJC’s Kaif (8) and Yashas (15) had the SJCC defence in a tangle with a series of drive-ins that gave them a 24-19 lead mid-way through the second quarter. But Varun had other plans, converted two free throws and then putting a three-pointer to level the scores at 24-24.
Soon after that the lights went out. With two seconds left for the half-time whistle, a transformer, right behind a gallery where some of the spectators were sitting caught fire due to overload. The crowds were cleared and electricians were called to fix the problem.
The play was delayed for almost an hour.
After the restart, the Josephites kept the momentum going. Markesh shot down three pointers while Varun marshalled the troops to give Josephites a healthy 12-point margin at 45-33 at the end of third quarter.
SBMJC’s Varun (11), who struggled with his form in the first half, then came up with some repair work but the Josephites held on to win the title.
DH News Service
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels | Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks