The final matches of the group stages in the Sri Lanka Schools Under 17 Girls A Division Basketball Tournament came to an end at the Lyceum International School Wattala Basketball Court earlier today.
The 2 matches played were St. Joseph’s Girls School vs St. Bridget’s Convent and tournament favorites and host Lyceum International vs Presbytarian Girls’ School.
St. Joseph’s Girls School v St. Bridget’s Convent
In the first match St. Joseph’s looked to secure their place in the final as they dominated St. Bridget’s. Earlier in the year St. Bridget’s faced off against the same opponents in the Under 15 tournament with St. Joseph’s prevailing. The first half proved to be the deciding factor as the girls from Nugegoda never looked back and completely outplayed their opposition with the score board reading 29 – 12 at half time.
In the second half, things did not change as St. Joseph’s looked settled. The Josephian team now back at their full strength after several key players were out on other duties seemed to be lacking the finish in crucial areas. With the game out of hand the coach of St. Bridget’s could not contain the onslaught and had to submit by playing his bench to save his players for the consolation final. At the final buzzer, the score board read 74-22.
Summary
Half time – St. Joseph’s Girls School 29 – 12 St. Bridget’s Convent
Full time – St. Joseph’s Girls School 74 – 22 St. Bridget’s Convent
Top scorers
St. Joseph’s Girls School – 24 points H.K. Thisari, 24 points Rashmi Taniya
St. Bridget’s Convent – 12 points Michelle Kotagoda, 8 points Ashlene Kodipili
Lyceum International School v Presbytarian Girls’ School
The second game of the final group stage session was between group leaders Lyceum International Wattala and Presbytarian Girls’ School. This encounter was penned down as a runaway for Lyceum. In the start of the match the Presbytarians looked on par against the favorites of the tournament. The girls from Wattala looked relaxed and at the end of the first half the score board read 24 – 15 in favor of Lyceum.
The second half was the same as the first as both teams just kept trading points, with the girls from Dehiwela looking good in patches, however they did miss crucial shots to even the odds. Credit should be given to the Presbytarians as they did not commit a single foul in the game. As the final buzzer sounded off the scoreboard read 46-37 in favor of Lyceum.
Summary
Half time – Lyceum International 24 – 15 Presbytarian Girls’ School
Full time – Lyceum International 46 – 37 Presbytarian Girls School
Top Scorers
Lyceum International – 17 points Hazeena Abdul, 11 points Lubna Morseth
Presbytarian Girls School – 12 points Siumi, 7 points Ishadi
The final standings of the group stage which was worked off in a round robin system is found below.
| Team | Played | Win | Loss | Draw/NR | PF | PA | Points Difference | Total Points |
| Lyceum International School Wattala | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 209 | 101 | 108 | 8 |
| St. Joseph’s Girls School | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 215 | 104 | 111 | 6 |
| Presbytarian Girls School | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 152 | 162 | -10 | 2 |
| St. Bridget’s Convent | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 120 | 195 | -75 | 2 |
| Good Shepard Convent | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 127 | 224 | -97 | 2 |
The final and consolation final is set to be played tomorrow (12th August) at the Lyceum International School Wattala Basketball Court from 2.30 PM onwards.
Consolation Final – 2.30 PM
Presbytarian Girls School v St. Bridget’s Convent
Championship Final – 4.00 PM
Lyceum International School Wattala v St. Joseph’s Girls School
