png men's basketball league

After ending Round 1 of the competition last Sunday, the KSS Flames tipped off to the top with 10 points on the board winning all five games played.

Trailing by 2 points behind Flames is Moni Plus Tamaraws with four wins from five games played while Superior Coffee Saints follow with 6 points and Exodus on 4 points then Chariots and Jokers.

However, for this weekend, the games have been called off by the officials to give team’s time out to regroup and refocus for Round 2 battles.

Game 3, the main game of the day, was the clash of the Titans showdown when the premiers Tamaraws played the Exodus in a nail-biting encounter that kept the crowd cheering until the final whistle in the 4th quarter.

The Exodus, with a clean defense, held off the keen Tamaraws’ attack as they fiercely tried to penetrate their wall.

However, the champions, not wanting to taint their reputation, kept breathing through every little space found in the Exodus keyhole. This resulted in them coming out on top with a 5-point lead to beat Exodus 90-85.

The season will tip-off at the Taurama Aquatic Centre at 3pm in what will be a grand final re-match of the 2015 season.

MoniPlus Tamaraws and defending champions KSS Flames will battle in the season opener.

There will be more slam dunks and loop flash with aggressive body contacts on the courts.

The six franchised teams in the competition are MoniPlus Tamaraws, KSS Flames, Superior Coffee Saints, Exodus, West Jokers and Chariots.

The basketball tournament will run for two months involving eight men teams and six women teams made up of Southern Flames Club players in the PNG Basketball League.

The competition aims to keep the players fit in preparations leading up to the 2016 PMBL season.

It will also give the opportunity to youths and other basketball players to be part of a mini competition which will run through to the festive season.

They battled well on Monday night defeating MoniPlus Tamaraws in a close encounter 110-103 at the Filipino Association PNG Clubhouse in Gordons.

The Southern Highlands team based in Moresby played exceptionally well leading all throughout the match.

In the first quarter, Flames took the lead 52-45 and continued to dominate the game in the second quarter to maintain the lead at half time 88-74.

Flames continue to show class with the service of national representatives Apia Muri and Gabriel Elavo to claim victory.