Samuel Vasanth Kumar Memorial Basketball tourney: YMCA Hyderabad rally past Devraj on inaugural day

YMCA Hyderabad launched their campaign on a winning note with a hard-fought 67–61 victory over Devraj in the 6th Samuel Vasanth Kumar Memorial Basketball Tournament, organised by the Sports Writers Association of Telangana (SWAT) under the technical guidance of the Hyderabad District Basketball Association, at YMCA Secunderabad here on Tuesday.

Devraj made a confident start, with Amit, Suraj and Tribhuvan combining effectively to score 19 points, including three three-pointers, to take a 19–15 lead at the end of the first quarter. YMCA relied heavily on Sumith, who waged a lone battle by scoring 10 of his team’s 15 points. Devraj maintained their momentum in the second quarter, adding 16 points through Tribhuvan’s dominance in the paint, while Agni provided support for YMCA. Devraj went into the halftime break leading 35–29.

The match witnessed a drastic shift after the break as YMCA tightened their defence, shutting down Devraj’s outside shooting and restricting them to just six points in the third quarter. Krish and Bala spearheaded a fast-paced offensive surge as YMCA raced to an 18-point quarter to take a 47–41 lead. In the final quarter, Krish proved unstoppable, scoring 10 consecutive points, while Gattu chipped in with crucial free throws. Despite a late rally led by Arief, YMCA held firm to seal a deserved win. Earlier, the tournament was inaugurated by CA Govada Giridhar, FCA, in the presence of Ruth Vasantha, wife of late Samuel Vasanth Kumar.

Scores:

YMCA Hyderabad 67 (Krish 22, Sumith 18, Gattu 9, Agni 8, Bala 7) beat Devraj 61 (Tribhuvan 16, Amit 12, Suraj 10, Arief 9) Half-time: 29–35.