Mumbai: It was a bag of misfortunes for the Don Bosco school from Matunga, while their boys went down to St Joseph’s Wadala 13-14, their girls emerged supreme with a 4-3 win over Bombay Scottiosh, Mahim, in the MSSA under-11 inter-school basketball championship which concluded at the Azad maiden MSSA court here on Wednesday. It what could be called as a close encounter of first kind, the Wadala and Matunga boys were locked in a very evenly balanced battle.
Both the team logged four points each at the end of the first quarter. It was Subhaib Shaikh who spearheaded the St Joseph’s attack, Kunal provided the pivotal role. The other side of the court, it was Pranav Menon and Vignesh who carried their good work for Matunga cagers.
In the second session, it was more even but there were only four baskets with each of the team sharing two each, to take the break on a well balanced note. It was only after these two sessions, the battle for the title took pace and Don Bosco set off on the right note as they garnered five against four by their rivals.
With just one point ahead, Bocso boys looked they could run away with the title, but that was not to be as St Joseph’s Shaikh along with Shardul turned the table on their opponents and snatched three crucial points which proved decisive for them, as they ran away with the trophy with the final verdict 13-14.
Don Boco girls had to come out with their best before they could overpower Bombay Scottish, Mahim 4-3 to clinch the issue.
It was a contrast when the girls took to the courts. There was not a single point on board as the teams preferred to defensive tactics.
It was Don Bosco girls who made the move as they pocketed two points in the third quarter, while Bombay Scottish, Mahim managed one. These two points proved vital as the final session the teams were levelled with two points each, but the one point lead in the third quarter proved the turning point for the girls from Matunga.