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The basketball event tipped off with three prelims matches on the 5th day of the 3rd Lusofonia games held in Goa from the 18th to the 29th of January.
The postponement of the Games by three months did not go down too well with the all countries part of the organizing body ACOLOP. Among the 12 countries, there are only 6 teams in the Men’s basketball event and just 4 in the Women’s basketball competition.
Of the three contests, two were Men’s basketball events where Cape Verde faced Macau and hosts India went up against Guinea-Bissau.
Meanwhile Macau and Mozambique went head to head in the lone Women’s basketball event for the day.
Results:
Game 1:
Cape Verde vs Macau (Men’s Prelims)
Final Score: 94-46
The margin of victory says it all. It was a lop-sided affair with the Macau team trailing by 25 points by just the end of the first quarter. The Macau team has more offensive woes than defensive ones, scoring just 16 points in the first half.
By halftime, Cape Verde led by 33 and was comfortably placed to finish the game as winners. Macau scored 21 points in the final quarter and even outscored their opponents by a point but it was too little too late as their opponents had sealed the game with a 25-9 performance in the third period.
Game 2:
Macau vs Mozambique (Women’s Prelims)
Finals Score: 111-29
While their counterparts had a tough going in their contest, the Macau Women’s basketball team sailed through their first encounter in the games.
Not allowing their opponents to score double digits in even a single quarter, the Macau team won by a huge margin of 82 points.
The second half of this game seemed to be a formality with the box score by halftime reading 61-29 in favor of the Macau team.
Game 3:
Guinea Bissau vs India (Men’s Prelims)
Final Score: 82-48
The host nation started their campaign on a positive note with a dominating win over their opponents Guinea Bissau.
Although a fairly competitive game when compared to the previous two contests played earlier, the Indian team looked in control all along.
They continued to build on their 10 point first quarter lead to finish the half with a 28 point lead outscoring their opponents 27-9 in the second period of play.
Although the Guinea Bissau team outscored the Indians 18-15 in the final period, the game was over by the third quarter after the lead was 37 heading into the fourth.
