Bombay YMCA, Maharashtra exit

MUMBAI, March 4: Local teams Maharashtra and Bombay YMCA made their exit from the inaugural Bombay YMCA Invitational basketball tournament, ...

MUMBAI, March 4: Local teams Maharashtra and Bombay YMCA made their exit from the inaugural Bombay YMCA Invitational basketball tournament, suffering their second defeat at the Chembur Gymkhana YMCA courts here today.

Bombay YMCA lost 85-73 to Vijaya Bank, Bangalore in a Pool B match while Tisco defeated Maharashtra 110-91 in their opening Pool A match. Maharashtra and Bombay YMCA had lost yesterday to Madras Customs and Indian Bank respectively.

Tisco, comprising members of the national title winning side Bihar, had a game on their hands in the first 15 minutes of the encounter. Maharashtra’s hustling game, combined with the lethargy and over-confidence of Tisco, meant the former lead for most part of the first 10 minutes.

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Maharashtra’s Satish Warrior got some close range shots, but within the first 15 minutes, he committed three fouls. Tisco caught up at 29-all and went on an overdrive to gain a 14-point lead (43-29) thanks mainly to N S Rawat who scored some clutch baskets.

Thereafter Maharashtra’soffence was severely hampered by Tisco’s tall players, 7 feet, 3 inches tall Mobin Ishlauddin and 6’9” Jaldeep Dhaliwal. They were helped in the offence by the hard-working N S Rawat and their captain Shahid Qureshi. In the first match of the day, Bombay YMCA were defeated but they can take heart from their gutsy performance.

Bomnay YMCA’s game never really got off the floor as their dependence on pivots Anish Sanghvi and Sanju Joseph backfired. Sanghvi could do virtually nothing against his fit, fast and taller opponents. The next option for Bombay YMCA was to shoot from long and they worked erratically. Vijaya Bank took the lead and they were led by BS Gautam and Murali Mohan. Mohan was good in rebounds and blocks and also scored 26 points. He was rightly declared the Man of the Match. Bombay YMCA, despite the big lead that Vijaya Bank took, never really gave up the fight. S Gopal gave them hope of inching closer to Vijaya Bank’s tally through two three-pointers and a jump shot which reduced the latter’slead to 13. But it was Bombay YMCA’s fouls — 15 in the second half — that worked against them. Both of today’s winning teams have made sure of semi-final slots. Results Group A: Tisco 110 (Shahid Qureshi 39, NS Rawat 24, Jaldeep Dhaliwal 13, Mohammed Islauddin 16, Cyril Miranda 15) bt Maharashtra 90 (Panjkaj Deshmukh 14, Shatrughana Ghokle 14, Satish Warrior 11).

Group B: Vijaya Bank 85 (Venkatanarayanan 18, Stalin 18, Murali Mohan 26, BS Goutham 17) bt Bombay YMCA 73 (S Gopal 14, Bob Keeler 11).