Commercial Credit, cager champs
Gayan Meedeniya a key figure in Mercantile Basketball after 15 years
captained Commercial Credit &Finance PLC to a glorious 55/50 win over
DFCC Bank at the 25th Mercantile Services Basketball Association League
Tournament 2015, Men’s “A” division Final, concluded at the Sugathadasa
IndoorStadium Complex on Friday.
The Final played at a furious pace, swung like a pendulum; DFCC
taking the 1st quarter at 22/07; Commercial Credit got back to the game
and reduced the lead, but was still trailing at 22/28 at half time; The
3rd quarter was a ruthless affair where the scores stood at 38-all;
Gayan Meedeniya & Gayan de Croos combined effectively to spearhead
Commercial Credit to a 5 points win at the long whistle (55/50). Thus
Commercial Credit remained unbeaten throughout the tournament scoring 5
wins against Union Assurance PLC (9/42), DFCC Bank (55/38), HNB (65/56),
NTB (71/50) and Dialog Axiata 43/40. DFCC only beaten by Commercial
Credit, secured wins against NTB (67/59), Union Assurance (56/49) and
Dialog Axiata (62/53) Dialog Axiata won the play off for the 3rd place.
In the men’s “B” division Final that proceeded, Sampath Bank PLC
pipped Sri Lankan Airlines by a single point, 59/58. Sri Lankan Airlines
missed many as 15 free shots which cost them the title. At the end of
the 1st quarter the scores stood at 12-12; Sampath Bank held a 4 point
lead at half time 28/24; Sampath Bank maintained their 4 point lead at
the end of the 3rd quarter (46/42) Sampath Bank thus remained unbeaten.
In the league stage, they scored wins over Ranawana (56/21), Sri
Lankan Airlines (51/43), Avon Guard (63/46) and Commercial Credit “B”
83/61 (Semi Final).
The Sri Lankans only beaten by Sampath Bank scored wins against,
Ranawana (53/44), Avon Guard (64/58), & MAS Holdings “Red” 76/65 (Semi
Final) Two more players bid adieu to Mercantile Basketball, both from
Sampath Bank Chamira Ratnayake & Asanka Lellawala. In the play-off for
the 3rd place, Commercial Credit & Finance PLC “B” beat MAS Holdings
“Red” 76/71. CommercialCredit & Finance PLC bagged a “double” when their
women tookthe “A” division title, beating Seylan Bank 63/53 in the
Final.
On Thursday 10th December at the same venue the men’s “C” division
was won by the combined team from HSBC/HDPL, as they beat NDB Bank by 2
points (60/58) ; The men’s “E” division went to WSO2, beating IFS,58/38.
Minister of Sports, Dayasiri Jayasekera, graced the ‘A’ division Final
and declared opened the new MSBA Website. MSBA presented a lifetime
award to Balcon Fernando in recognition for his yeoman service rendered
to the game for the past 25 years.
The awards were presented by MSBA Officials Fizal Deva /President,
Brawin Fernando, Basil Silva & Rimaz Hassan, all Vice Presidents;
Tharindu Rupasinghe, Secretary, Manaram Bandara, Treasurer, Jonathan
Armugam, Committee Member, Nishantha Wickramage, Patron & Asanga
Amaratunga, President /SLBF.
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