The final quarter-final match of ThePapare Basketball Championship was concluded at the Henry Pedris Basketball Complex with St. Joseph’s College triumphed over Gateway College securing their semi-final spot against S. Thomas’ College.
Pre-Match Quotes
St. Joseph’s College Coach, “Our primary focus during this game will be our defense since we believe that a good defense is the best offense we will be prioritizing that to win this match.”
Gateway College Coach, “It’s definitely going to be a tough game but we’ve prepared for it and we will perform to our best and hopefully we will be able to advance further in the tournament.”
Match Report
Gateway College secured the first possession of the ball and converted it successfully into a scoring opportunity. SJC wasted no time in getting into their defensive positions employing an aggressive defense which the Gateway players found difficult to penetrate. Gateway, on the other hand, employed a 3:2 zone defense.
First-Quarter: St. Joseph’s College-11 Gateway College- 09
St. Joseph’s College dominated the second quarter outscoring Gateway by 10 points, their defensive tactics did the trick as Gateway struggled to penetrate and take more than one basket. SJC, on the other hand, capitalized on fast breaks to increase the deficit with Shehan Fernando consistently finishing strong near the rim. SJC managed to maintain control of the game mainly by securing rebounds on both ends of the court leading to second shot opportunities or fast break opportunities as they led by 12 at the end of the first half.
Half-time: St. Joseph’s College-27 Gateway College-15
St. Joseph’s College enjoyed a comfortable lead coming into the third quarter and tried their luck from beyond the perimeter although their success rate wasn’t as high as they would have liked it to be. SJC continued to take shots near the post and increase the deficit as the Gateway defense failed to keep SJC players outside of a scoring range. The Darley Road lads took good use of their strong bench rotating the team to maintain the intensity of the game at all times and continue their dominance.
Third-Quarter: St. Joseph’s College-38 Gateway College-23
During the final 10 minutes of the game, the St. Joseph’s College attempted to drive in and draw the fouls to benefit from a 3-point play situation although SJC themselves were high on the foul count having lost a couple players during the game being fouled out. Gateway College switched to a full-court press to reduce the St. Joseph’s scoring opportunities. St. Joseph’s focused on their defense and rebounds to win the game securing their spot in the semi-finals of the tournament.
Full-time: St. Joseph’s College-58 Gateway College-40
Coach of the St. Joseph’s College, Randima Fernando speaking with ThePapare.com, after the victory, “Our main focus was our defense and marked their long-range shooters and dominated the game through our defense our strategies worked which allowed us to win the game.”
