May 8, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 5, 1424

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

LAHORE,  May  7: Excellent display by Zahid (32) and Mahmood Ahmed (28) helped Habib Bank to stun Wapda 88-85 in a thrilling and crucial match of the 43rd national basketball  championship super league at the Railways Stadium on Tuesday night.

The banker’s victory not only halted the unbeaten run of Wapda but also enhanced its chances to be a candidate for the top position with Army and Navy at the end of the league stage on Thursday.

Wapda led the first half by a narrow margin 44-42 but HBL staged a comeback in the second half and turned the table.

In a tie in which gruelling fight was seen for  each  point, Zahid and Mehmood exhibited a high class game.

With their swift movements and dodging, HBL managed to pierce through the defence of  the rivals.

Zahid’s six points in a row in the second half not only put bankers ahead after levelling but also gave them a lead. Falak Fareed also added 12  points  for the winners.

For Wapda, Jahangir fought well and contributed 20 points while Shahid Ali and Shahzad both chipped in 15 points each.

In another, tough match, Railways squeezed past Navy 78-75 to earn its second win. Railways took a slender 56-55 point lead in the first half. After a neck-and-neck fight Railways emerged worthy winners.

For the winners, Azhar and Liaqat paid a rich share by scoring 23 and 22 points, respectively. Allah Bakhsh  earned  16 points.

Mustafa scored 25 points and caught eyes from the losing

side. Nadeem (16) and Shoaib (10) also touched the double figures.

Army, however, maintained its unbeaten record in super league when registered third win in the day’s lone one-sided  encounter, beating Pakistan Air Force 82-44 after earning 60-38 lead at the interval.

For Army, Major Saleem (18), Mir Alam (16) and Pervez (14) excelled. Imran (18), Arshad (15) and Gul Hasan (10) reduced the margin for the losers.

A win in the last match against Wapda on Thursday will  help Army to win the championship.

In case of any upset, the winners will be decided from Army, Wapda, HBL and Navy on better  points in every match of all four teams against each others.