Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Ponda Basketball Club, DBO Panjim and KJs booked their places in the quarterfinals after delivering commanding displays on the second day of the State Senior Basketball Championships for Men and Women. The tournament, co-sponsored by Priority Constructions and organised by Lourdes Basketball Club in association with the Goa Basketball Association and the Sports Authority of Goa, continued to draw fast-paced action at Don Bosco Oratory in Panjim.
Ponda Basketball Club opened the day with a 62–42 victory over Siolim Basketeers, a match that remained competitive despite the eventual margin. The game swung heavily in Ponda’s favour through the standout performance of captain Mangesh Pawar, who led all scorers with 25 points through sharp drives and confident outside shooting. Contributions from Kunal Patil with 11 points and Sanmay Bandekar with 8 ensured the team stayed in control. Siolim kept the pressure on through steady efforts from Roger Fernandes and Neil D’Souza, each scoring 10 points, while Royston Araujo added 7.
DBO Panjim followed with a dominant 60–20 win over PCCE Pacers. Young talent continued to shine as Avner Mendonca, fresh off an MVP performance at the Sonics U17 Finals, impressed again with an 11-point showing supported by strong all-round play. Teammates Jairam Agni and Kevin D’Souza added 12 and 8 points respectively, maintaining their momentum in the senior division. PCCE’s resistance was led by Vitor Rodrigues, who finished with 14 points.
In the final fixture of the day, KJs comfortably defeated Thunder Dribblers 44–13. The team relied on the experience of veteran player Shivkumar U, who controlled the paint and finished with 12 points. Arun Kumar contributed 10 points and Salman Syed added 9 to round out a balanced scoring effort. For Thunder Dribblers, Thejasezo stood out with 7 points in a challenging outing.
The three winning teams now move confidently into the quarterfinal phase as the competition intensifies.
