Matunga school retain MSSA U-11 basketball crown after tense final battle with Vibgyor High School (Goregaon) goes into extra-time
The victorious Don Bosco (Matunga) U-11 basketball team
Defending champions Don Bosco (Matunga) retained their U-11 Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA) basketball crown at Azad Maidan yesterday following a tense 21-17 victory over Vibgyor High School (Goregaon).
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Vibgyor's (Goregaon) Agam Jain (left) tries to snatch the ball from Don Bosco's (Matunga) Somesh Shetty during the MSSA boys' U-11 basketball final at Azad Maidan yesterday. Pics/Atul Kamble
The Matunga lads needed extra time to beat the Goregaon school after the scores were tied 15-15 at the end of regulation time yesterday.
In extra time, Zanan Ahmed and Somesh Shetty scored four and two points respectively for Don Bosco, while only Soham Jakhotia managed to find the basket for Vibgyor.
The match began at a brisk pace with Vibgyor's Dev Premi scoring a two-pointer and a freethrow conversion from Samin Sugathan, while Sandharbha Binny scored three points for Bosco to ensure the first quarter ended 3-3.
Soham shines
The second quarter saw Vibgyor take a 6-3 lead thanks to Soham scoring three points. They increased the lead to 12-5 in the third quarter thanks to some neat baskets from Dev Premi putting the defending champions in a spot of bother going into the final quarter.
The victorious Don Bosco (Matunga) U-11 basketball team
The last quarter however, turned out to be an edge-of-the-seat thriller. Soham added two more points for Vibgyor, but the Goregaon team's celebrations were cut short as Don Bosco struck back with some outstanding teamwork from Zanan, Vedant Rawat and Nihal Yeligetti.
The Bosco boys added 10 precious points to their tally to make it 15-15 and take the match into the extra time.
"I instructed my boys to go all out in the final quarter. I told them not to panic and keep going for baskets, but at the same time prevent the opposition from scoring, and the boys delivered brilliantly," said Don Bosco coach Mecky Lobo.
Meanwhile, in the girls
U-11 basketball final, Vibgyor High School 'A' (Goregaon) stunned defending champions Divine Child (Andheri) 27-8. Vibgyor's Riccha Ravi top scored for the Goregaon school with 10 points.
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