Karnataka men seal quarter-final berth in Junior National Basketball Championship

Karnataka’s men’s team secured a quarter-final berth with a third straight win at the 76th Junior National Basketball Championship, while Karnataka women upset defending champions Tamil Nadu. Telangana teams also recorded victories in Level 2 matches held at Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium

Hyderabad: With only two days left in the crucial league phase, Karnataka’s men’s team kept their flawless record intact in Group B, powering to their third consecutive victory at the 76th Junior National Basketball Championship.

Taking the court on Sunday at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium, the Karnataka squad put on a clinical performance to defeat Chandigarh 87-67 and officially seal their berth in the quarter-finals.

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In other high-stakes Level 1 men’s action, Haryana displayed superior court execution to outplay Rajasthan 80-71. Meanwhile, late-night fixtures on Saturday saw heavyweights Tamil Nadu assert their dominance over Madhya Pradesh with a 74-53 victory, while a relentless Uttar Pradesh side handed Madhya Pradesh another crushing blow, finishing with an 83-42 win.

The Women’s Level 1 division produced the tournament’s biggest upset yet as a spirited Karnataka line-up defeated defending champions Tamil Nadu 69-62.

In parallel Group A action, Haryana edged past Chhattisgarh 67-53 in a highly tactical and intense contest. Both teams entered the match with strong momentum. Chhattisgarh had pulled off a 77-75 upset against Tamil Nadu on Saturday, while Haryana came into the match after a hard-fought 68-63 regional rivalry win over Punjab. Kanika anchored Haryana’s offence, scoring a team-high 19 points.

The Level 1 Women’s draw featured another exciting encounter as Kerala outlasted Rajasthan 59-55 in a thrilling contest. Rajasthan opened with a strong offensive display, taking the opening quarter 16-11. Kerala responded with a 23-11 run in the second period to lead at half-time.

In Level 2, Telangana celebrated a double-victory day. The Telangana men controlled the pace to defeat Meghalaya 73-51, while their women’s team produced a strong defensive performance to beat West Bengal 69-42. Other Level 2 women’s ties saw Chandigarh overpower Goa 67-58, Assam comfortably beat Uttarakhand 47-33, Himachal Pradesh dismantle Bihar 63-15, and Delhi outclass Meghalaya 57-29.

In Level 2 men’s action, Bihar defeated hosts Puducherry 78-53, Meghalaya outpaced Goa 81-66, Uttarakhand beat Gujarat 82-58, and Mizoram outlasted Jharkhand 91-88 in a high-scoring thriller.