The Henry Pediris Basketball Complex hosted the ‘B’ Division Men’s Final of the Mercantile Services Basketball Association Knockout Tournament 2018, which was played between John Keells Holdings (JKH) and Kanrich Finance yesterday.
Kanrich Finance grabbed the first possession but it was turned over off a travelling violation. Even though both teams did manage to grab both offensive and defensive rebounds effectively, the second chances were not bought into full value.
It was Kanrich Finance who broke the monotony by drawing first blood in converting a lay-up. Wrapping up the maiden quarter of the match the scores read, 17-15 in favor of Kanrich Finance.
Going into the second quarter, JKH`s Lahiru Sovis commenced proceedings with a reverse lay-up while it`s reply from Kanrich Finance, a shot from down-town was air balled. Both teams kept their consistency in scoring as they maintained the two-point shots at regular intervals. JKH utilized many fast breaks during the first half, intercepting the offensive possessions of the opposition which put them ahead of Kanrich Finance by a couple of points at lemons.
Half time score – John Keells Holdings – 28 Kanrich Finance – 26
Starting the second half of the game, both the teams shifted gears and upped the pace of play in comparison to the first half. Charith De Silva of JKH could get decent rebounds and make the second attempts successful at crucial moments of the game.
Kanrich Finance found it difficult to get through the JKH defense as they had implemented tight defensive strategies. Both teams consistently got past the perimeter but failed to finish under the rim. Kanrich Finance however, drew as many fouls they could and took maximum advantage of converting the free-throws into points. Kanrich Finance scored 10 points for the third quarter while JKH replied with 15.
Watch: Match Replay | John Keells Holdings v Kanrich Finance | “B” Division Finals
Kanrich Finance did collect many rebounds and intercepted many passes while taking more second shot opportunities to stay ahead in the game. Yet they failed in their defense to stop the leakage of points. Kanrich Finance added 14 points in the final quarter while JKH replied with 17 and were crowned as the champions of “B” Division Champions of the 2018 Mercantile Services Basketball Association Knockout Tournament 2018.
Full time score – John Keells Holdings – 58 Kanrich Finance – 52
 and Kanrich Finance yesterday.){kind=link}