UNDER-19 girl's defending champion Yat Sen Secondary School suffered their first loss at the Twisties National Secondary School Basketball Champ-ionship yesterday at the Vodafone Arena.

The side lost to Latter Day Saints 33-43 in a tough and gruelling match.

The Flagstaff school was taken to the wire against a fast and enterprising LDS side in a see-saw match.

Basketball Fiji development officer and national rep Laisiasa Puamau said the LDS side had the likes of Fiji U20 reps Vika Fifita and Grace Taito in their line-up.

Yat Sen captainAkosita Ravato who led by example in the match.

"Ravato is a very promising player and is knocking on the selection door for the national Under-20 team," Puamau said.

Puamau said there were other schools in the tournament which looked promising.

Also providing stiff competition to its opponents was the International Secondary School U15 team, LDS in the U17 grade in both the boys and the girls division.

"Also the Natabua High School team should be watched as they are a force to reckoned with," Puamau added.

Teams from the West includes NHS, Edupia and Ba Provincial School.

Altogether 45 teams from 13 schools are participating in the five-day tournament, which ends today.

Pool play ends at 12noon with the finals to be held in the afternoon.

Results:

U15: LDS 24 SJSS 15, ISS 12 NHS 19, SGS 18 LBSS 22.

U17 (Boys): MBT 16 GHS 26, MBHS B 14 Yat-Sen 34, LBSS 3 NHS 49, EDUPIA 30 LDS 50, MDHS A 33 GHS 24; Girls: LDS 41 SGS 23, Yat Sen 21 GHSl 18.

U19 (Girls): YatSen 33 LDs 43, SJSS 33 LBSS 13; Boys: ISS 33 LBSS 18, LDS 32 MBHS 34, LBSS 10 LDS 18, MBHS 26 ISS 25.

The Fiji Times Online

Wednesday 26th August, 2009