Kerala women beat resilient Delhi to advance to finals

The Kerala women’s team reached the Senior National Basketball Championship final with a thrilling 69-62 victory over Delhi in Bhavnagar, Gujarat on Saturday.

In the final quarter, Kerala upped the game with captain Sreekara R being the top scorer with 25 points. Kerala initially had the upper hand, leading 17-11 at the end of the first quarter and 35-27 at halftime. But Delhi, inspired by Garima Gosain, made a spectacular comeback. Delhi tied the score at 38 points and took the lead for the first time (49-48) on Garima’s 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter.

Delhi managed to extend their lead to 56-52 before Kerala made a comeback. Sreekara hit a three to give Kerala the lead again at 59-56. The match was still in the balance, but Kerala maintained their lead through smart time management and disciplined defence.

Susan Florentina had 12 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks, while Swapna’s Melin Jiju piled up 12 points and rebounds. For Delhi, Garima scored 17 points and Simran Kaur scored 15 points.

Kerala awaits the winner between Tamil Nadu and Indian Railways in the title match. If Kerala wins, it will be the state’s first senior national title of the new year.