FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024: India in quarterfinals after 8 years!
FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024: India in quarterfinals after 8 years!
After leading by 15 points early in the fourth quarter, India holds off a late surging Lebanon to win 64-62.
The India U18 boys team has returned to the quarterfinals of the FIBA Asia Cup after a gap of eight years, holding off a late surging Lebanon.
In an engrossing contest between two even sides, India’s 37-24 dominance in the middle quarters proved to be the difference between a spot in the final eight and an early flight home.
Coming into these pre-quarterfinals, Group B’s third-placed team India was the clear underdogs against Group A’s second-seeded side Lebanon.
Neither team started well, going scoreless in the first two minutes. Soon enough, Lebanon made its aggressive intentions clear - repeatedly driving inside to take a 6-2 lead.
Not to be left behind, India had multiple players finding their groove, with balanced scoring at all three levels, including in transition.
At the end of the first quarter, the scores were tied 16-16.
The second frame started with a stupendous contested dunk by Lebanon forward Jason El Dekss, and it appeared that the momentum would favour the ‘Cedars’.
The Young Cagers though had other ideas, as India’s guards led by Ankush, began finding the bottom of the net from beyond the arc.
Four minutes into the second quarter, India nosed ahead 24-23, and by halftime, the scores were 37-29 in favour of South Asia’s finest.
In the second half, foul trouble began to mount for India centre Mohammad Ishan, but in his absence, backup power forward Sahibjit Singh Bhullar ably stepped up with back-to-back buckets giving India a crucial 12-point lead.
The fourth quarter started in the worst possible way for India, with Ishan getting fouled out. With eight minutes left for the final buzzer, and India leading by 15, it was now a question of whether the side could withstand the pressure of a desperate Lebanese side.
Unable to find any rhythm from the perimeter, Lebanon continued to push the pace and kept whittling down India’s lead. On its part, India was guilty of playing to hold onto the lead rather than persisting with the actions that had got them ahead in the first place.
Eventually though, a tense India did just enough to keep Lebanon at bay and secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
India will now face record 11-time Asia title-holder China on September 7, at 7 pm.
India (Mohammad Ishan 12 reb, 10 pts; Ankush 14 pts; Sahibjit Singh Bhullar 10 pts; Mirthun Vel Dhanasekar 10 pts) bt Lebanon (Ralph Iskandar 11 pts, 8 reb; Anthony Naba 11 pts, Hadi El Khatib 11 pts) 64-62 [16-16, 19-13, 18-11, 11-22]
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