CALICUT WARRIORS GIRLS EXTEND WINNING RUN; BISONS AND TUSKERS DOMINATE U19 BOYS IN BLK SEASON 1

KOCHI: High-octane drama and edge-of-the-seat action continued on Day 3 of the inaugural Basketball League Kerala (BLK) Season 1 at the Regional Sports Centre Indoor Stadium (Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium).
In the girls' section, the Calicut Warriors extended their unbeaten run with thrilling victories in both the U14 and U19 divisions. Meanwhile, the Kottayam Bisons and Thrissur Tuskers established their dominance in the Under-19 Boys category. The ongoing six-team round-robin tournament, which will decide the semi-finalists, is jointly organized by Starting Five Sports Management Pvt. Ltd. and the ABC Basketball Development League, in association with the Kerala Basketball Association (KBA).
In the opening match of the day, the Calicut Warriors U14 girls secured their second straight group victory by defeating the local favourites, Kochi Stallions, 45-34. The Warriors built a commanding 13-point lead, hitting two 3-pointers along the way. Despite a fiery third-period comeback by Kochi's Jijo Ann Rose, who scored 10 points to narrow the score to 36-27, S. Lakshya's late-game brilliance and a spectacular 23-point performance anchored the Warriors to a final victory.
Action shifted to the Under-19 Boys division in the second match, where the Kottayam Bisons claimed a gripping 53-44 win over the Kochi Stallions. The Bisons leaned on their sharpshooting, sinking 5 three-pointers to carve out a massive 21-point lead. Kochi fought back valiantly behind junior international Jins K. Joby and P.M. Gautham, but Salil Niyukth's steady performance under pressure ensured the Bisons held on for a well-deserved victory.
The third and fourth matches featured the Under-14 Boys division, which saw one-sided dominance. The Calicut Warriors cruised to an easy 72-29 win over the Kochi Stallions, while the Kottayam Bisons outclassed the Alappuzha Dolphins with a comfortable 53-37 scoreline.
In the fifth match of the day, a U19 Boys fixture, the Thrissur Tuskers showcased sheer dominance against the Alappuzha Dolphins to finish 61-41. Vinay Sankar stole the show for the Tuskers, scoring 7 vital points in the third period to extend their cushion to 45-32. Vinay finished the game with a spectacular double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds.
The sixth match of the day in U 19 Girls Kottayam Bisons triumphed over Trivandrum Capitals, with a commanding score of 53 to 32. Despite the Capitals' valiant effort, they only managed to tie the game once and never regained the lead after the Bisons surged ahead.
The third quarter was a showcase of Kottayam's defensive prowess, limiting the Capitals to just 6 points while extending their lead to 35-25. The final period was a masterclass from V Malavika, who scored 8 points and finished with a double-double of 19 points and 15 rebounds. The Bisons surged ahead with a stunning 8-0 run, sealing their victory at 53-32. Despite a spirited effort from the Capitals, the Bisons proved too strong on this night!
The seventh in U 14 Girls Calicut Warriors registered their 3rd Straight Victory as they beat Alappuzha Dolphins after leading 22-11 at the half time Lakshmi was again the lead scorer for Calicut with 36 points and 13 rebounds

Detailed Scores
UNDER-14 DIVISION
Girls Tournament
• Calicut Warriors: 45 (Lakshmi T 23) beat Kochi Stallions: 34 (Ann Rose Jijo 12, Maryam S Naureen 10).
• Calicut Warriors: 51 (Lakshmi T 23) beat Alappuzha Dolphins 38 ( Narmin J 12)

Boys Tournament
• Calicut Warriors: 72 (Alok Kumar 25, Aayush J 12) beat Kochi Stallions: 29
(Quarter scores: 16-12, 26-5, 10-6, 20-6).
• Kottayam Bisons: 53 (Jeswin Joseph 21) beat Alappuzha Dolphins: 37 (Pranav K Sujith 14, Allan Anto Alex 13)
(Quarter scores: 13-3, 15-14, 7-12, 16-8).

UNDER-19 DIVISION
Girls Tournament
• Calicut Warriors: 58 (A B Varsha 30) beat Kottayam Bisons: 36 (Ameya Anna Johnson 14, V Malavika 14)
(Quarter scores: 15-8, 10-8, 11-13, 9-7).
• Kottayam Bisons 53 ( V Malavika 19,Amya Anna Johnson 11, Niveditha K raj11) bt Trivandrum Capitals 32
(Quarter scores: 15-9,9-10,11-6,11-7)

Boys Tournament
• Kottayam Bisons: 53 (Nayukth Salil 13) beat Kochi Stallions: 44 (Gautham P M 22, Jins K Joby 11, Asray 11)
(Quarter scores: 15-8, 14-0, 11-16, 13-20).
• Thrissur Tuskers: 61 (Vinay M Sankar 21) beat Alappuzha Dolphins: 41 (Jonathan G 15)
(Quarter scores: 16-7, 12-12, 17-13, 16-3).
• Thrissur Tuskers: 49 (Vinay Sankar 15) beat Calicut Warriors: 40 (Sachu Santhosh 9).