Hounds Academy secured an impressive 102-92 victory over Royal on Saturday at the Kirtipur Covered Hall in the ongoing Himalayan Java Basketball League (HJBL). With this win, Hounds have climbed to the top of the table with 15 points from 8 matches. Royal, on the other hand, sit in fourth with 10 points from the same number of games.
The first quarter ended evenly at 25-25. Hounds Academy took control in the second quarter, leading 27-21 to head into halftime with a 52-46 advantage. Royal fought back in the third, winning it 25-23, narrowing the gap. However, Hounds maintained a 75-71 lead going into the final quarter and sealed the game with a strong 27-21 finish.
Ugyen Norbu Gurung named MVP for Hounds Academy
Despite Royal’s Prasanga Maskey scoring a game-high 37 points, his team fell short. For Hounds, Bijaya Burja impressed with 30 points, while Ugyen Norbu Gurung earned the Most Valuable Player award for his all-around performance.
Times Basketball Club edge Kirtipur by one point
In Saturday’s earlier game, Times Basketball Club pulled off a dramatic 91-90 win over Kirtipur. Kirtipur’s Nishchal Maharjan delivered a stellar individual performance with 43 points, but it wasn’t enough to secure the victory.
Times made a strong start, taking a 29-11 lead in the first quarter. The second quarter saw both teams score 26 points each. Kirtipur fought back in the third, winning it 25-22. Backed by home fans, Kirtipur dominated the final quarter 28-14, but still fell just short by one point.
Sadish Pradhan stars for Times
Sadish Pradhan led the scoring for Times with 27 points and was named the MVP of the match. With this win, Times have 13 points from 8 matches and sit third in the standings, while Kirtipur remain in fifth with 10 points.
HJBL action continues on Sunday
The Himalayan Java Basketball League (HJBL) action will continue on Sunday with a single match between GoldenGate and Samakhushi Youth Club.