Royal College entered the encounter as favourites, but S. Thomas’s College had other plans, delivering a commanding first-half performance before holding off a determined Royal comeback to secure a 55–49 victory and reclaim the Hon. D. S. Senanayake Challenge Trophy.
S. Thomas’s dominated both ends of the court in the opening half, led by captain Dhruw Perera and vice-captain Nathan Fernando. With valuable contributions from Dhevin and Lebron, the Thomians established control early, while Aman Thaha brought the crowd to its feet with a brilliant dunk that further underlined their attacking intent.
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Chelan Weerasinghe was instrumental in S. Thomas’s first-half dominance, combining outstanding defensive work with effective counterattacks. Royal College, meanwhile, suffered an early setback when vice-captain Thevidhu was sent off following an unsportsmanlike foul, leaving the Reid Avenue side without a key player at a crucial stage of the game. S. Thomas’s capitalized on the advantage, extending their lead as Royal struggled to find their rhythm.
Despite the mounting pressure, Ashel Ambawatte and Mayureshan attempted to spark a Royal revival with promising attacking combinations. However, the finishing touch proved elusive. Nikhail, meanwhile, stood firm defensively, denying the Thomians several scoring opportunities with some impressive work under the basket.
At the halfway mark, S. Thomas’s had firmly stamped their authority on the contest, taking a convincing 29–14 lead into the break.
Royal College returned for the second half with renewed determination, producing a spirited response and steadily cutting into the deficit. A more calculated approach, coupled with improved attacking combinations, saw the Royalists take control of the third quarter. Ashel, Geeneth, Aemika and captain Lakvidu combined effectively, showcasing impressive chemistry and rhythm as Royal began to believe in a potential comeback.
However, S. Thomas’s refused to surrender their advantage. Despite losing the third quarter, the Thomians remained composed and responded with renewed intensity when it mattered most. Chelan and Thaha stepped up with back-to-back contributions, supported by Nathan and Dhevin, as S. Thomas’ regained momentum and delivered the decisive blows in the closing stages.
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Royal College fought valiantly until the final whistle, but the Thomians proved too resilient, seeing out a hard-fought 55–49 victory to reclaim the Hon. D. S. Senanayake Challenge Trophy.
In the individual awards, Chelan Weerasinghe of S. Thomas’s College was named Best Offensive Player for his outstanding attacking contributions, while Ashel Ambawatte of Royal College earned the Best Defensive Player award for his impressive defensive display. Aman Thaha of S. Thomas’s College was crowned Most Valuable Player (MVP), capping off a memorable performance in a victory that returned the coveted trophy to Mount Lavinia.
