Chhattisgarh Clamp Down on Kerala to Claim the Junior Crown

Chhattisgarh's defense made the difference in a tense, low-scoring final, as the perennial girls' powerhouse held off Kerala 55-51 to win the girls' title at the 76th Junior National Basketball Championship.
Chhattisgarh set the tone early, racing to a 19-11 first-quarter lead, but Kerala counter-punched in the second, outscoring the favorites 17-10 to trim the margin to a single point, 29-28, at the break. Kerala kept coming, edging the third quarter 11-10 to leave the game level at 39-39 with 10 minutes to play. Then Chhattisgarh's composure took over: a decisive 16-12 fourth quarter, built on defensive stops and crisp fast breaks, carried them to the crown.
Divya Rangari (160-F-2010) led the champions with 22 points, including three three-pointers, and captain Anjali Kodapae steadied the offense with 14 under head coach Rajeswara Rao. Kerala's fightback was led by Liya Maria and Subadra Jaykumar with 12 points apiece, with T Vaigha adding 11.
Chhattisgarh had reached the final by beating Maharashtra 56-44 in the quarterfinals and Karnataka 67-62 in the semifinals, while Kerala downed Haryana 72-47 and Tamil Nadu 70-54. In the third-place game, Tamil Nadu edged Karnataka 58-54.