Services down Rlys in basketball nationals

Former champions Punjab registered their second win on the trot by defeating Delhi 99-89 in a high voltage men’s level one clash at the 66th Senior National Basketball Championship being held at the Chamundi Vihar Stadium here on Tuesday.

Punjab were brimming with confidence after their win over defending champions Uttarakhand on Monday. Talwinderjit Singh Sahi led the way for Punjab with 24 points while Ranbir Singh Virdi (17) and Gagandeep Singh (16) also did well. Delhi players Parveen Dovan and Gopal Ram were in fiery form with 27 points each, but it was not enough to see their team through. The game was closer than expected with Delhi putting up a good fight led by their centre Gopal Ram and guard Parveen Dovan. 

For Punjab, Sahi continued his fine form in his comeback tournament leading the way on offense for his side. In a back-and-forth game, Delhi held the lead entering the fourth quarter, but Punjab pulled away with aggressive play in the final five minutes. Sahi and Ranbir Singh knocked down shots late in the game to seal the deal for Punjab. Uttarakhand meanwhile, kept their title defence on track with an 83-55 win over Haryana. Veteran centre Murali Krishna (24), Trideep Rai 18 and national team captain Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (11) were the main scorers for the defending champions.