Live!! Basketball (Boys) Final : BITS Pilani v/s LNIPE Gwalior

1950 hrs
AND IT’S ALL OVER!!!! LNIPE HAVE GOT THE BASKETBALL GOLD. Final score: 68-42 to LNIPE. Valiant effort by the BITSians but in the end , LNIPE were too good. Still, silver is a decent enough return. And with that, BOSM matches are over…
1948 hrs
Some wonderful skill from LNIPE…That would be counted as showing off in some places. They are pulling out of sight now. 68-42 to BITS and the errors have crept into the BITSians’ game.
1947 hrs
Schadenfreude is the best kind of pleasure it seems. Meanwhile, Antonio makes an awesome play. BITS trails 60-40.
1946 hrs
I think the fate of the match was decided the moment LNIPE successfully snuffed out Antonio’s playmaking threat. He has been absolutely ineffective in the second half. But that doesn’t take anything away from an awesome tournament he has had.
1945 hrs
CHAAR CHAWWANI THAALI MEIN!! DY PATIL NAALI MEIN!!! Some unresolved tension I see between the BITSian and the DY Patil camps.
1944 hrs
SABSE PYAARI LADKI KAUN?? KAARI KAARI… Is that another nickname for someone we know.
1943 hrs
The game now has the look of a done-and-dusted affair. LNIPE seems quite content to play it around and show off their skills. BITS seem tired. Score: 60-37 in LNIPE’s favour.
1942 hrs
Latest score: 58-37 to LNIPE. Surely, 21 points is too huge a margin for BITS to pull back.
1941 hrs
I think we can all agree that LNIPE have just too good a team. But credit to the BITSians. They have been awesome. Lathi sinks another two to make it 53-37. Is he the only one scoring?
1939 hrs
LNIPE is the first to 50. BITS trails 50-33. And there is a free throw coming up. No 4 from LNIPE sinks it. 51-33 to BITS. On the other side of the court, Lathi drives unopposed to the basket to score. 53-35 in LNIPE’s favour.
1938 hrs
Manav hits a two. 48-33 to LNIPE.
1937 hrs
All the outsti teams have united against BITS…Wonder how appreciation turns to bitterness in four days…Is it the fact that BITS has walked away with a handsome haul of medals on the back of brilliant performances by its sportspersons??
1934 hrs
Akshay has come on for Ankeet and not Manav. Score is 47-31 in LNIPE’s favour. LNIPE’s superior fitness and pace is taking a toll on the BITSians’ valiant performance. It’s going to take a miracle to get back from here. LNIPE no 12 sinks in one of his free throws to make it 48-31.
1933 hrs
Manav has now been replaced by Akshay. Lathi pulls two points back for BITS. 43-31 to LNIPE.
1932 hrs
Another two for LNIPE…They are blowing BITS away. 43-29 to LNIPE. Come on, it’s time for a timeout.
1930 hrs
The LNIPE defense has succeeded in completely snuffing out Antonio’s playmaking threat. Mowgli seems to have turned it on. Another two for him. LNIPE leads 41-29.
1929 hrs
Was that an alley hoop attempt? Meanwhile, the chants are getting quite nasty now.
1928 hrs
Mowgli sinks in a three right after the timeout. LNIPE leads 39-29. Can BITS overturn the double-digit lead?
1927 hrs
The crowd is regaining its earlier boisterousness as it bids to coax the last drops of efforts out of the BITSian team. As the teams go out for a timeout, the ref finally nails a jumper after four days’ worth of effort.
1926 hrs
Lathi with another two. BITS trails 36-29. Devdatta wants the LNIPE players to pass to him on the sideline.
1925 hrs
Mowgli makes it 36-25 for LNIPE now. Lathi makes it 36-27 though. He has scored at least fourteen till now.
1924 hrs
A quick break by LNIPE thwarted by BITS. But a three on the inbound play gives LNIPE a 34-25 lead. BITS needs to go on a roll now.
1923 hrs
Another gem from Crazy Fangirl, “This is my last BITSian game…I desperately want it to end with a win.”
Curly haired guy (earlier christened ‘Mowgli’) has been rechristened ‘Bandar’ now…Is that “The Jungle Book” coming to life?? No.4 Murgi Chor??? What are they talking about?
1921 hrs
Our sideline analyst says, “LNIPE are bigger, taller and they make sure the ball just goes into the basket every time they get possession.” Isn’t that the definition of a good basketball team? But BITS doesn’t yet seem too far behind.
1919 hrs
The whistle goes…Is it half-time already? Or is it just a timeout? Can’t figure out anything in the middle of the raucous chants and cheers of the crowd. It’s 31-25 to LNIPE now. Meanwhile, the crowd asks everyone to look at the coach. He doesn’t even look good…
1918 hrs
Curly hair has just been christened ‘Mowgli’ by the BITSian crowd. Boos and jeers try to put him off as he steps up to take two free throws. He misses both as the crowd shouts “INQUILAB ZINDABAD!!!” Meanwhile, four quick points give LNIPE a 29-23 lead. Seems like they are making their superior skill count. But the BITSian SHAQ, Lathi (PR Sriram to all those from Chennai) has other ideas. A SHAQ-like basket cuts the lead to four.
1917 hrs
Crazy fangirl M, is going even crazier…That’s what I call the epitome of sporting passion. Meanwhile Hemu looks spent as he lies on the court, while the teams discuss tactics on the sidelines during a timeout. The crowd is still as involved as they were at the start of the match. This is going to be brilliant!!!
1916 hrs
The elder statesman of the BITSian team sinks a three: Score is 25-23 to LNIPE.
1914 hrs
What trickery from LNIPE!!! Sometimes, you gotta just give up on your allegiances and admire the ability of an opposition player. DOPY is getting an earful from the crowd for using a flash everytime a BITSian player steps up to the free throw line.
1913 hrs
The ferocity of LNIPE’s passing is seriously scary. Wonder how many of them would make the national basketball team the way they are now playing…Their reorganized approach is giving all BITSian supporters the shivers. 23-19 to LNIPE.
1912 hrs
Some photog guy is the current villain as he just clicked Antonio with a flash while he was taking a free throw. Hemu answers the LNIPE challenge with a beautiful layup. 21-19 to LNIPE. But they sink one in from the rebound. 23-19 to LNIPE.
1911 hrs
Someone, let’s call her M, suddenly got too excited at the sight of LNIPE hassling the BITSian offence. Hema: “Now that, is a fangirl for you!!!”
Meanwhile, 19-17 to LNIPE.
1910 hrs
Ankit is like a rock in defense. The BITSian defense seems like a rock today in turn. 3 pointer by LNIPE makes the scores level at 17.
1908 hrs
LNIPE is turning on the heat now. Brilliant plays. Score: 17-14 to BITS.
1906 hrs
Nice passing move by LNIPE makes it 17-12. The match is developing nicely. No 10, Ankit seems slightly off his shooting game today. But he is picking up all the rebounds in defense. Meanwhile, brilliant defensive block by the LNIPE player, tapping the ball away just as Antonio was going to cap his full flight with a layup.
1904 hrs
Two threes taken by BITS till now. And another three-pointer gives BITS a 17-12 lead. The crowd says, “JEETEGA BHAI JEETEGA !!! BITS PILANI JEETEGA!!!” and “LAO RE LAO!! CURRY KO LAO!” Is that a codeword? Attempts at a Mexican wave follow. And another, much better one. In fact, the wave went all around the court. It seems like BITSians have left it to the last day to show the outstis what home support is! But what a support this is!!!
1902 hrs
I have never seen a more boisterous crowd at the basketball court in the three BOSMs I have seen. The team, the crowd are all united by a single purpose – the sight and feel of gold. A successful free throw by BITS makes the score 12-10. PR gives BITS a 4-point lead with one of his trademark drives to the basket. He has already scored 6 points already.
1900 hrs
Two free throws to BITS. Antonio steps up. Crazy fan girl says, “Now you know why I like him so much.” The drive earns him two free throws but he misses both. Meanwhile, BITS seems to be up for it from the start. Good steal by LNIPE. Two and a foul. 12-9 is the score in BITS’ favour.
1859 hrs
Nothing seems to be going in for LNIPE at the moment. A combination of brilliant defence and a hostile crowd against LNIPE is working in their favour. Meanwhile, a brilliant drive and basket by Lathi. Score: 12-7 to BITS.
1858 hrs
The pressure seems to be getting to LNIPE as they have begun missing shots they were making earlier. The vocal crowd seems to have got to them. Meanwhile, Hemu scores to give BITS a 10-6 lead. Brilliant assist by Antonio.
1856 hrs
Timeout. The BITSian boys have kept up and even bettered LNIPE efforts in the early running. Let’s hope this continues. Chants fill up the air. I wouldn’t want to be a LNIPE supporter today at the Basketball court. It must be intimidating for their players.
1854 hrs
LNIPE won the girls’ basketball gold, so the guys are trying to make it a double. A players from LNIPE just got a warning from the ref for excessive dissent. LNIPE seems to be the better team just at the moment but BITSians are playing with passion and have a very boisterous home crowd acting as the sixth man. Manav scores and the crowd goes into a frenzy. The three makes it 8-6 to BITS.
1852 hrs
LNIPE v/s BITS, the Basketball match is on. The stands are packed to the rafters and the atmosphere is even more electrifying than last time. Current score: 6-5. LNIPE leads.