Top players help Idaman

FIJI Basketball rep Koli Matalau scored 12 points to help Idaman upset Saints during the Suva basketball league at the Vodafone Arena on Tuesday night. Matalau combined well with Johhny Seruvatu and contributed to their 32-30 victory which halted the Saints unbeaten run.

Saints who are the defending champions controlled the game well in the first quarter with an impressive 14-4 lead. However Seruvatu and Matalau helped Idaman maintained their composure and turned the game around till the final whistle.

Suva basketball official Leonard Whippy said the competition was growing tougher. "As you can see from the results, we had three close games. The level of competition is getting better every week as a result of teams not only training together but also playing more games together." Whippy said the clash between Saints and Idaman was the pinnacle of the night.

He said Matalau and Seruvatu played very well. Whippy said they hoped to lift the competition to the next level as they gear up to the Easter tournament. "As we move into the second part of the first half of our season, we expect the competition to get better as teams not only want to finish the season well but also prepare for the annual Easter tournament in April."

"Our objective as an association for the first part of the year is to help prepare our clubs to perform well at our annual Easter competition," he added.

Results: Barbarians 64 Noobies 31; Saints 30 Idaman 32; Pitbulls 34 Pac Harbour 27; Baseliners 55 New Era 52.