Basketball: Sampath Bank beat Nations Trust to win Mercantile title

The Street Smart, Mithila Abeysekera scored 15 points including the two free throws offered to him with 30 seconds remaining on the clock, to propel Sampath Bank to a heart stopping 17/16 win over Nations Trust Bank ‘A’ in the inaugural Mercantile Services Basketball Association 3 x 3 Platinum Men’s Basketball Championships, concluded at the Henry Pedris court, under lights last Friday (5).

In the Platinum men semi-finals, Sampath Bank beat HNB ‘A’, 9/6 and Nations Trust Bank ‘A’ beat HNB ‘B’ 14/10.  

In a lack luster play off for the 3rd place, HNB ‘B’ beat their ‘A’ team 5/2.

In the  Gold Men’s segment final, the combined team of HSBC/HDPL scored a thrilling 13/12 win in extra time, over SriLankan Airlines ‘A’; the scores  were deadlocked, 11/11 at full time (10 minutes);  Nithishka Morias was the top scorer (10 points) for the winners.  

In the semi-finals, SriLankan Airlines ‘A’ beat DPMC ‘A’ 16/10 and HSBC/HDPL beat Commercial Credit and Finance PLC ‘Red’, 13/10.

In the playoff for the third place, Commercial Credit and Finance PLC ‘Red’ beat DPMC ‘A’ 20/14. 

Three teams in a single group played in the women’s Gold segment; unbeaten DFCC Bank emerged the winner beating David Pieris Motor Co. in the final 13/7.

In the league stage, DFCC beat DPMC 8/3 and NDB Bank 7/5 while DPMC beat NDB Bank 6/4.

Krishani Fernando who scored 10 points in the final played an outstanding game for DFCC throughout the tournament.  

In the Silver Men’s segment final HSBC ‘B’ fighting every inch of the way beat LB Finance ‘A’ 15/14.

Hasantha Gunawardena (10 points) played a die-hard game for the winners. 

In the semi-finals, LB Finance ‘A’ beat their ‘B’ team, 14/13 and HSBC ‘B’ beat NDB Bank, 13/12.  

In the play-off for the third place, NDB Bank beat LB Finance ‘B’ 13/10. 

The dynamism of the MSBA new guard under the leadership of Fizal Deva and his two able side-kicks, Rimaz Hassan, VP and Mafaz Mohideen (Committee Member), made it possible to put a tournament of this magnitude together under one month. 

3x3 known also as street basketball is the largest urban team sport of the world; FIBA the sport’s governing body is currently promoting this basketball discipline extensively, its main competition being an annual FIBA  3x3 World Tour. 

The inaugural world Championship was held in 2012. 

MSBA did marvelously well to attract a 28 men’s teams and three women’s teams at very short notice and to conduct it successfully in three days, on January 27, 28 and 29, consisting 81 matches.

The sponsors who came forward to support the MSBA’s latest venture were Commercial Credit and Finance PLC., Kanrich Finance and David Pieris Motor Co.    

The second edition of the MSBA 3x3 will be held in December 2016 as MSBA will endeavour to increase the participation of teams to 60 or more.