The Institute of Business Studies University (IBSU) Hammers have pulled off a gutsy 51-34 victory over the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) Chiefs team 1 to clinch the 2024 Intervarsity Basketball Tournament on Tuesday, June 25th, at UPNG Basketball court in Port Moresby.
A total of four tertiary institutions took part in the revived tournament for three days, from June 23rd-25th. The participants included both male and female teams, and they were the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) 1 & 2; University of Technology (UniTech); Pacific Adventist University (PAU); and Institute of Business Studies University (IBSU).
Both the UPNG and IBSU finished first and second on the ladder respectively, after the end of the regular rounds. The Chiefs 1 were tipped as the favorites to win the tourney, given their unbeaten run in the regular rounds, but the underdog Hammers came from nowhere and stole the show, shattering the hearts of the hosts and the loyal fans on their home turf.
As anticipated, the decider between the IBSU Hammers and UPNG Chiefs kicked off in a fiery start, with both teams going firing on all cylinders and left everything on the court, locking the first quarter at 13 points apiece.
The intensity and tempo of the game reached its climax in the second quarter. Both sides looked threatening offensively, counterattacking and scoring points to stamp their authority. With a little bit of momentum on their side, the Hammers took a slight 24-22 lead over the Chiefs at the break.
In the third quarter, the arm wrestle and fight for possession continued. The points came begging for the two teams and they made use of the opportunity, scoring points and making every basket count. The Hammers maintained their lead and ended the third quarter with a 33-28 margin.
The Chiefs put the cue in the rack in the final quarter, which saw the eventual champions take matters into their own hands and tighten their grip, capitalizing on Chiefs’ fatigue to score points and seal the deal with a 51-34 win.
IBSU Hammers coach, Jabez Geita, shared his experience and said despite being the underdogs, he was proud of his players and commended them for staying disciplined, playing simple basketball and adhering to the game plan.
“The experience was awesome, to say the least. There were whispers of IBSU being called the underdogs, but we proved everyone wrong,” the elated coach Geita stated.
“Full credit to the boys for being disciplined when it mattered the most and taking it one game at a time. I’m happy they stuck to the game plan and got the job done.”
Geita also congratulated the UPNG Chiefs for putting up a spirited fight against the Hammers and thanked the UPNG organizers for hosting a successful tourney. He and the IBSU Hammers look forward to partnering with UPNG and other sister universities in the country to grow the sport of basketball.
Meanwhile, in the Women’s Grand Final, the UPNG Chiefs defeated the PAU with a 24-17 scoreline to claim the coveted trophy. The Chiefs proved too strong against the determined PAU girls.
It was an exciting and interesting three-day tournament, where both the players and fans had a good time rooting for their respective teams, creating a network, establishing friendship, and building good sportsmanship. Everyone had an eventful and fruitful 2024 Intervarsity Basketball Tournament.
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