Maharashtra, Karnataka win in Junior National Basketball

Putting behind their morale-sapping losses on the previous day, women from Maharashtra and Karnataka today registered memorable victories in the 65th Junior National Basketball Championship.
Maharashtra's captain Sruthi Menon top-scored with 24 points as her side beat Haryana 63-56. Both Haryana and Maharashtra are now locked 1-1 after two round robin games.
Karnataka junior women beat last year's semifinalist Tamil Nadu, 88-65, thanks to the scintillating performance of former youth international Bhadavya's 42 points.
The Junior Maharashtra men's team won as well thanks to their speedy and busy guards who forced Karnataka into a numerous turnovers.
Such was the defensive pressure of Maharashtra that at times, Karnataka struggled to cross the ball into its frontcourt.

Late last evening, Kerala junior women stayed invincible by beating Maharashtra 74-58. With its perfect 2-0 record, Kerala are now on top of Group B in the upper pool.

From the lower pools (Level 2), the toppers of each of the four groups (C, D, E and F) will play against each other in a bid to progress to Level 1.
In junior men's section, Rajasthan (C1) will play West Bengal (F1), while Andhra Pradesh (D1) will take on Bihar (E1).
In junior women's section, Himachal Pradesh (C1) will be up againt WB (F1) and Delhi (D1) will face Uttarakhand (E1).

A separate loser's knockout tournament will also begin from tomorrow for all the lower pool teams that failed to qualify to the main draw.