In a show of dominance, the BITS Boys Basketball team cruised to a 53-35 victory over the BITS Goa team at 10 pm on Friday. Playing in front of a packed crowd, the home team utilised their exceptional fast-break game to score points in bunches.

The name of the game was speed, as Pilani managed to pressure Goa into steals, rushing up the open floor to score uncontested lay-ups. 3-point shooting was sparse: both teams airballed many-a-shot from beyond the arc. The post position also did not see much play, as the centres on both teams focused more on defensive rebounds.

The game started off with a scoreless first minute, with a series of fouls on both sides. It was Pilani which finally broke the deadlock, with three razor-fast lay-ups to get the score to 6-0. Goa struggled to penetrate the 2-3 zone defense early on, and the home team took full advantage; forcing bad passes and converting fast breaks at the other end. Pilani was also very successful on the offensive end, and used two man pick-and-rolls to find open jumpers from mid-range. Captain Vishal Verma in particular seemed unstoppable, treating the crowd to lay-ups one after the other. The home team extended its early lead, ending the half at 28-19.

Goa tried to rally back post half-time, scoring a few points with drive-and-kicks. #8(Akhilesh) seemed especially adept at finishing despite contact fouls, and earned a few 3-point plays in the process. Rebounding also seemed to be a problem for Pilani, as the visitors’ height advantage allowed for easy second chances. The centre seemed unable to hold on to the ball, resulting in loose balls and offensive rebounds. This did not last however, as the home team eventually rallied their defense and went on a 9-2 run, effectively closing out the game.