Hyderabad, 25th March 2016: The second and final leg of the United Basketball Alliance (UBA) Pro Basketball League 2016, underway at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium saw Punjab Steelers comfortably beat Haryana Gold in their final north division league match.
The evening also saw the appearance of Telugu film actor Akhil Akkineni, who was the chief guest on the occasion. “It is great to see UBA here [in Hyderabad]. I went to a basketball game in the US once and I can see that UBA has set up a similar league here,” said the actor.
Punjab Steelers bt Haryana Gold 87-65
The winless Haryana Gold, who have lost all their six games had only pride left to play for in this tournament as they took on the Punjab Steelers today in Hyderabad in the last league stage game for both teams. Punjab has only won two games and was desperate to improve their record in the push for a semifinal spot.
Punjab opened the game on a 7-0 run in the first couple of minutes and maintained a fast paced offensive style going in the early minutes orchestrated by international point guard Akilan Pari. Playing tight defense with active hands, Punjab forced Haryana turnovers that led to easy transition buckets. Punjab centre Gurvinder Gill and forward Kaushal did a good job of protecting the rim, making life difficult for Haryana’s slashers. The first quarter ended with the Steelers up 21 to 8.
In the second quarter, Punjab continued their surge taking advantage of Haryana’s poor transition defense. Veteran guard Amrit Pal Singh kept leaking out on the break to hit open layups in transition, while point guard Akilan had 6 assists in the first half itself. Steelers’ centre Gurvinder Gill used his athleticism to find his way to the basket on his way to 11 points. The Steelers raced to a 20-point lead in the second quarter and entered halftime up 42 to 20.
As the game entered the third quarter, Haryana guards Himanshu Sharma and Vikas (15 points) ignited their team, converting defense to offense for some quick buckets. Forward Deepak Rathee (12 points) also contributed in the third quarter using his big body to create space and knock down shots in the paint.
But, Haryana’s hopes of a comeback were dampened by Punjab’s strong fourth quarter. Reigning MVP Ravi Bhardwaj (14 points) showed up for the Steelers in the final period hitting tough shots from the paint overpowering Gold centre Jaskaran. Haryana were forced to guard him from the perimeter as well after he knocked down a triple early in the fourth.
Ravi and the Punjab bench carried the Steelers through the rest of the game as they cruised to a blowout 87-65 victory, ending their league stage campaign on a winning note. Haryana Gold end their nightmarish tournament with another loss and will have a lot of work to do before the next season begins.
Punjab Steelers (Ravi Bhardwaj 14 pts, Amrit Pal Singh 14 pts, Gurvinder Gill 11 pts 10 rbs) bt Haryana Gold (Jaskaran 19 pts 13 rbs, Vikas Mor 15 pts, Deepak Rathee 12 pts) 87-65 (21-8, 21-12, 18-25, 27-20)
