Basketball: Commercial Credit outpace DFCC to win Ram Ratnavel Trophy

Commercial Credit & Finance PLC ‘A’ turned on their turbo boosters at the precise moment to zoom past fancied DFCC Bank to clinch the Ram Ratnavale Memorial Trophy, with a hard-fought 55/50 win in the Men’s 'A' Division final of the 11th MSBA Knockout Tournament, concluded at the Edward Henry Pedris Stadium. 

DFCC with 4 National players, skipper, Prageeth Pushpakumara, Terrence Neydoff, Tharindu Sankalpa and Roshan Fernando kept the youthful, energetic Commercial Credit, also with 4 National players in Thimothi Nithushan, Gayan de Croos, Sanjeewa Kulamina and Clinton Stallone under control, as they led the first two quarters, 12/10 and 30/27 at halftime.
 
Commercial Credit got their act together in the third quarter, scoring 14 points to DFCC’s 11 points, to draw level, 41/41. 

As DFCC seem to run short of gas in the crucial last Quarter, the outstanding Clinton Stallone went into overdrive to take Commercial Credit ‘A’ to a memorable 55/50 win. 

DFCC paid the price of failing with the abundant free shots that came their way in the fourth quarter. 

Clinton Stallone (18), Gayan de Croos (10) and Sanjeewa Kulamina (10) contributed well for winners while Prageeth Pushpakumara (12) and Roshan Fernando (10) scored for the losers. 

Channa Perera, Gayan Buddhika and Christopher Kumarasinghe refereed. 

In the preceding Men’s 'B' Division final that went on for two hours, Dialog Axiata, intelligently led by Rimaz Hassan hung on to a heart-stopping, extra time 46/44 win over MAS Holdings ‘Reds’. 

The game swung like a pendulum from the start, with MAS ‘Reds’ attack more cohesive via skipper, Andrew Alphonsus, ex-national players, V.S. Sundaralingam and Roshel Mendis, as they led 13/11 and 19/17 at the end of the 1st and 2nd Quarters respectively.  
Dialog’s in-form players, Vajira Kumarasinghe, Raviraj Wickramasinghe and Dhanuka Muthukudaarachchi combined effectively as they came back strongly to take the third quarter, 29/28. 

Shanaka Weerasinghe joined the Dialog party, playing a fine up-and-down game to freeze the opposing scorers, 39-39 at full time. 

In extra time, Dialog skipper Rimaz Hassan once again marshaled his troops well to take Dialog Axiata home, 46/44. 

Shanaka Weerasinghe (15) and Dhanuka Muthukudarachchi (13) top scored for the winners, while Andrew Alphonsus (11) and V.S. Sundaralingam (13) stood out for the losers. 

Ranil Suranga, Charitha Dodangoda and Thusith Yatigammana controlled the game. 

Old Sebastianite, former National Basketball Captain and Head of Selection Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, Chaminda de Alwis was the Chief Guest, and along with Mercantile Services Basketball Association Vice Patron, Roshan Samidon, Secretary, Mafaz Mohideen and Committee Member, Yohan Dole gave away the awards.