PANAJI
YMCA Knights defeated Sonics 72“56 to lift the Men’s Team Championship title in a high-quality final at the Manohar Parrikar Indoor Stadium, Navelim.
Though the scoreline suggested a comfortable win, the contest was anything but that, with Sonics showing tremendous fight and control for large parts of the match before the Knights pulled away late.
Sonics surprised the favourites early and went into half-time with a 27“24 lead, while the third quarter ended evenly poised at 43“41 in favour of YMCA Knights. The turning point came in the final quarter where the Knights raised their intensity on both ends of the court, outscoring Sonics 29“15 to seal the title. Jaeden Vas top-scored with 22 points and was equally impressive in defence, while Shaun Aranjo (16 points), who was awarded the MVP of the finals, stood out for his handling and timely scoring. For Sonics, Calvin D’Mello (16 points) and Yash Vedant (12) fought valiantly but found the Knights’ late surge too strong to contain.
Earlier, the semi-finals set the tone for a memorable finale with two absorbing encounters. Sonics edged past Loyola HS Hoopers 45“40 in a nostalgic generational classic, as stalwarts from an earlier era rolled back the years. Spencer Viegas marshalled the side with trademark composure, Daley Fernandes showcased his familiar scoring touch, while Bosco Furtado dictated the tempo, rekindling memories of Goa basketball’s golden days and drawing warm applause from the stands. Arthur D’Souza (14) and David Moritokkal (11) eventually guided Sonics home.
In the other semi-final, YMCA Knights outlasted Don Bosco Sports Academy Fatorda 64“58 in a pulsating contest, with Shaun Aranjo producing an outstanding 23-point effort and solid support from Jaeden Vas (16), while Aaron Ponraj led Fatorda’s charge with 17 points, ably backed by Micah Pinto (16) and the calm and clinical Aaryan Raut (14).
