FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024: India seals place in pre-quarters with win over Kuwait, to face Lebanon next

India made a surgical comeback against Kuwait to reach the pre-quarters of FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024.

After starting with back-to-back defeats, India finally tasted victory at the ongoing FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024, beating the last placed Kuwait by 62-51 at the Arena Complex in AS Salt, Jordan. Team captain Lavish and Lokesh Kumar Sharma led the scoring for India with 12 points each. Adel FAH Alsaied was Kuwait’s best player with 16 points, 5 assists and 9 rebounds. India scored massive 22 points in the third quarter to seal the victory.

The Indian attack looked much more fluid in a low-scoring game, but its inconsistencies were still evident. They depended alot on their read and react style of play which often ended with a fake and drive. In a relatively low scoring game and inefficient shooting, India bested a lower ranked Kuwait thanks to them losing steam in the second half.

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Lokesh Kumar Sharma, who sat out last game, scored all three from beyond the arc and was the team’s most efficient scorer. Gurmaninder Singh Sandhu also scored 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.

Mirthun Vel Dhanasekhar’s shooting slump continued but helped the team in with four assists. Mohammed Ishan wasn’t in luck scoring-wise but made sure to help the team get the rebounds with 15 to his name. This helped India to score 16 in second chance points.

Kuwait started the game strong, leading in the first quarter and maintaining a slight edge until halftime. However, India’s stifled defense made stopped their scoring with just 7 points in the third quarter. Their lack of grabbing defensive rebounds cost them with India collecting 19 offensive boards.

Apart from Alsaied, Adam Asadallah was another player who shined for Kuwait. Asadallah troubled the Indian defense by drawing four personal fouls in the first half and getting to the line. Mohammed Talal also provided crucial support but his offense was silence soon.

This win seals the spot for India in the pre-quarterfinals where they will face Lebanon on September 6. Lebanon finished second in the Pool A behind Australia, with only one loss to their name.

If India manages to win this game, they will go on to face China, arguably the best team in Asia, in the quarterfinals. The Chinese are yet to register a loss and given their track record this game won’t be easy.

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