Basketball
Mixed fortunes for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana hoopsters at Sub-Jr Nationals
Hosts Andhra Pradesh experienced mixed fortunes as their girls convincingly defeated Uttarakhand 49-17, while the boys faced a tough 21-107 setback against a dominant Uttar Pradesh squad in the 51st Sub-Junior National Basketball Championship in Vijayawada late on Monday night.
Karnataka pull off a thrilling 47-44 win against Jharkhand; Rajasthan dominate MP 98-57
The third day of the championship, on Tuesday, witnessed high-octane encounters with top-tier Level 1 teams locking horns in critical group-stage matches. Heavyweights asserted their dominance across both the boys’ and girls’ divisions, delivering stellar performances to solidify their tournament standings.
Telangana girls put a gritty fight before going down to Punjab 40-44 in Level 1, while Telangana edged out Tamil Nadu 48-45 in a thrilling, down-to-the-wire Pool C battle.
The unbeaten teams in Level 1 after Day 3 are Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan (boys group A), Maharashtra (boys group B), Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (girls group A), and Kerala and Maharashtra (girls group B). Among these, the Karnataka girls hold the strongest record with 3 consecutive wins.
Rajasthan and Maharashtra cruise to comfortable wins
In boys’ level 1 group A action, Rajasthan showcased offensive superiority by defeating Haryana with a comfortable 84-68 victory, powered by a stellar 27-point performance from Harshvardhan S and 17 points from Robin Dhanka, while Haryana’s reply was led by Deepak Rathee and Harsh Rathee with 13 points each.
Group B saw a highly competitive clash where Punjab edged past Jharkhand 61-54, driven by 11 points each from Devaditya Singh and Shaurya, overcoming an outstanding 18-point lone effort by Jharkhand’s Naveen Paswan.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra put on a masterclass performance to dominate Karnataka with a commanding 75-45 win, anchored by Giaan Bane (15 points), Arnesh Ganguly (13 points), and Salman Sheik (11 points), while Taksha Jha fought back with 12 points for Karnataka.
Karnataka, Punjab, Kerala girls dominate
In the girls’ level 1 group A, Punjab secured a thrilling narrow victory against Telangana, finishing the game at 44-40 behind Samreen Kaur Dhindsa’s 16 points, which just managed to offset a game-high 19 points from Telangana’s Mischa Jhavar.
Karnataka continued their brilliant undefeated run, outlasting Uttar Pradesh 58-49 thanks to balanced double-digit scoring from Bhanya Shree (12 points), Devishi Jha (12 points), and Aarushi Anand (10 points), keeping them ahead of UP’s Angel Malik who scored 16 points.
In group B, Kerala proved too strong for Odisha, securing a decisive 67-51 victory led by Anna George’s brilliant 23 points and Ananya Aneesh’s 17 points, neutralising Lopamudra P’s 17 points for Odisha.
In the final Level 1 clash, Maharashtra powered past Madhya Pradesh with an authoritative 82-44 win, spearheaded by an explosive 29-point showing from Netra Damke and 14 points from Maitri Shah, while Monika Dhakad managed 18 points for MP.
Telangana, Chhattisgarh, WB teams shine
In level 2 action, dominant performances highlighted the lower pool matches as Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Telangana in the boys’ category, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, and Puducherry girls secured decisive victories.
In the boys’ fixtures, Chhattisgarh put on a masterclass display in Pool C to overwhelm Goa 92-18, while Telangana edged out Tamil Nadu 48-45 in a thrilling, down-to-the-wire Pool C battle. Over in Pool D, West Bengal comfortably cruised past Puducherry 62-41. In the Girls’ matchups, Pool E saw Rajasthan power past Chandigarh 78-48, while Puducherry dominated Jammu & Kashmir 45-21. Intense Pool F action concluded with Jharkhand defeating Bihar 43-33 and Meghalaya outplaying Manipur 52-38.
Results: Boys’ Group A: Rajasthan 84 (Harshvardhan S 27, Robin Dhanka 17) beat Haryana 68 (Deepak Rathee 13, Harsh Rathee 13).
Group B: Punjab 61 (Devaditya Singh 11, Shaurya 11) beat Jharkhand 54 (Naveen Paswan 18, Yuvaraj Singh 12). Maharashtra 75 (Giaan Bane 15, Arnesh Ganguly 13, Salman Sheik 11) beat Karnataka 45 (Taksha Jha 12)
Girls: Group A: Punjab 44 (Samreen Kaur Dhindsa 16) beat Telangana 40 (Mischa Jhavar 19). Karnataka 58 (Bhanya Shree 12, Devishi Jha 12, Aarushi Annad 10) beat Uttar Pradesh 49 (Angel Malik 16)
Group B: Kerala 67 (Anna George 23, Ananya Aneesh 17, Ashmi P 12) beat Odisha 51 (Lopamudra P 17, Monalisa Majhi 12). Maharashtra 82 (Netra Damke 29, Maitri Shah 14) beat Madhya Pradesh 44 (Monika Dhakad 18, Vaidhehi Gupta 11).