PANAJI
Lourdes Basketball Club, Don Bosco Sports Academy, YMCA Knights, and KJs sealed their spots in the men’s semifinals after an action-packed Day Three of the State Senior Basketball Championships for Men and Women, co-sponsored by Priority Constructions and organised by Lourdes Basketball Club in aegis with the Goa Basketball Association and the Sports Authority of Goa. The day at Don Bosco Oratory, Panjim, offered high-intensity contests, big individual performances, and quality basketball across both divisions.
In the opening men’s quarterfinal, Lourdes Basketball Club defeated a spirited DBO Panjim 68“41. Goa star Jeshua Pinto lit up the court with a dazzling 27 points, while Jordan Xavier added 15 points to keep LBC firmly in control. DBO’s young guns refused to back down, with Ryan Prabhudesai (12 pts) and Avner Mendonca (8 pts) fighting hard throughout. In the second quarterfinal, Don Bosco Sports Academy overpowered Ponda Basketball Club 61“24 behind a strong showing from Tanish Lotlikar (20 pts) and Yash (14 pts). Ponda’s efforts were led by Ayush (7 pts) and Kunal Patil (5 pts). The third quarterfinal produced a high-scoring thriller as YMCA Knights beat Sonics 85“61. Top Goan star Shaun Aranjo was unstoppable with 37 points, while towering centre Jaedan Vas added 20 points. For Sonics, Arthur De Souza (20 pts) and Chhavy Sirohi (17 pts) kept their team in the contest. In the final men’s quarterfinal, KJs edged past Knights Veterans 66“60. Former India star Austin kept the Veterans in the hunt with 19 points, while Goa’s evergreen stalwart Spencer Viegas turned back the clock with a scintillating 16-point performance, reminding fans of the days when he dominated the Goan courts with his silky shooting and unmatched court sense. But despite their heroics, KJs held firm through the steady scoring of Arun Kumar (18 pts), Salman Syed (14 pts) and Shiv Kumar (10 pts) to seal their semifinal berth.
In the women’s section, Sonics registered a strong 51“28 win over Lourdes Basketball Club, powered by Keiya (19 pts) and Fleur Vas (16 pts). LBC’s Sejal Kudnekar was outstanding with 18 points in a commendable all-round display. In another women’s league encounter, Jade defeated Lourdes Basketball Club 34“17, with Atika Suriya (15 pts) and Amisha Lotlikar (7 pts) leading the charge. Sejal Kudnekar (7 pts) once again impressed for LBC.
