FIBA Women’s Basketball League Asia: Indian Railways suffers second straight defeat, misses semifinals

File Image: Indian Railways’ players in action against Japan’s Denso Iris. | Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

Reigning national champion Indian Railways endured another bruising outing, slumping to its second successive heavy defeat, this time at the hands of South Korea’s KB Stars (81-42) in a Group B match of the FIBA Women’s Basketball League Asia at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday. The defeat ended Railways’ hopes of reaching the semifinals.

While Railways looked better organised and had a clearer game plan than in its previous outing, poor shooting once again proved its Achilles’ heel, with the team failing to translate its improved approach into points.

Though its shooting improved marginally, Railways’ struggles from the perimeter remained a major concern. It failed to convert any of its 19 attempts from beyond the arc, in stark contrast to KB Stars, which sank 16 three-pointers from 55 attempts.

Railways was found wanting on the defensive end as well, surrendering possession too easily and allowing KB Stars to capitalise on turnovers. The statistics told the story: Railways managed just two points off turnovers, while Stars scored 25. On the positive side, Railways outscored its opponent 34-22 in points in the paint.

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For Stars, captain and forward Yunjeong Na led from the front with 18 points, while Manmeet Kaur was Railways’ top scorer with 17.

Earlier, Cathay Life Tigers (Chinese Taipei) survived a scare before pulling off a nerve-wracking 85-75 win over Akari Sparks (Philippines) in a Group A clash.

The Tigers appeared to have the contest firmly under control after opening up a healthy 15-point lead in the second quarter. However, Akari refused to go down without a fight, turning what had looked like a comfortable outing for the Taiwanese side into a tense battle.

The Philippines side mounted a magnificent comeback in the third quarter, with American Saicha Patricia Grant-Allen leading the charge. Effective in the paint, she scored repeatedly to keep Akari in the hunt. Her 14 points, including seven two-point baskets, proved crucial as the Sparks cut the deficit to just one point (61-62) by the end of the third quarter.

Akari continued to push hard in the final period, with little separating the teams as the clock wound down. With nearly two minutes remaining and Tigers leading 78-75, Penina Davidson, who emerged as the game’s top scorer with 22 points, drained a three-pointer that swung the momentum decisively in Tigers’ favour. The basket gave Cathay Life some breathing space at a crucial juncture, helping it close out a hard-fought 10-point victory.