Stephy Nixon Led Kochi Stars Win Round 4 of 3BL In A Thrilling Contest Against Delhi Divas
- Kochi Stars beat Delhi Divas 19-15 in the finals to claim their second ‘Round’ title in 3BL Women’s League
- Indian national team centre Stephy Nixon named Most Valuable Player (MVP)
- Kochi Stars & Delhi Divas now evenly placed with two wins each in four rounds that have been played so far in the 3BL
- Watch 3BL live on Sony LIV and 3BL Youtube Channel
Chandigarh, 15th March 2022: Fighting adverse circumstances, defending champions Kochi Starssecured their second ‘Round’ title in the 3BLWomen’s League. ‘3BL’, the only 3X3 Professional Basketball League in India is backed by the Basketball Federation of India and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Kochi’s Captain Stephy Nixon who also is a member of the Indian National Women’s Basketball Team was adjudged the MVP for her spirited play while battling physical discomfort. This is the second win for the defending Champions Kochi Stars in the four rounds played so far, while the other two rounds belonged to their opponents today, Delhi Divas, who were also being led by another national team player Raspreet Sidhu. The third season is being played at the Hotel Wyndham Chandigarh Mohali from 8th – 21st March 2022 and is seeing participation from top national and international men’s and women’s 3X3 basketball players.
Kochi Stars bt Delhi Divas 19-15 in the Finals
Despite missing their fourth player Vandana Arya, Kochi Stars showed tremendous heart to reach the finals for the fourth successive time this season.
The defending champions were 0-2 in the finals against Delhi Divas this season. But overcoming these unfavourable odds, Stars never trailed in this close contest. They built an early 5-2 lead only to see the Divas tie the game up at 5-5.
With Kochi’s captain – the India centre Stephy Nixon battling physical discomfort – young guard Divyani Gangwal played out of her skin. The southpaw’s unconventional two-handed jumpshots saw the Stars surge again to a 13-9 lead.
Delhi’s inspirational leader Raspreet Sidhu, a seasoned international, fought back with a couple of two pointers, bringing the game within one point, 15-16. But her rivals Nixon, Gangwal and Kanishka Dhir stepped up yet again in a mini 3-0 scoring run, sealing the inspired 19-15 victory.
“By God’s grace we won the match. Our players are very very talented and day by day they are improving,” Nixon said after the game. Thanks to her performance, Nixon was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the second time this season.
Both Kochi and Delhi now have two ‘Round’ titles each, with two rounds remaining.
Local Punjab team Ludhiana Queens reaches semis
Among other teams, local side Ludhiana Queens reached the semifinals for the third time this season. Debutant Kavya Singla, replacing India player Anmolpreet Kaur at the centre position, appeared to gel well with her teammates. “I feel really happy and I always wanted to grab this opportunity. I think I am going to get a lot of experience from this. All the players are very nice and the staff is also very nice. I have seen [Instagram] Stories of players and I was like ‘I also wanted to play’,” Singla said.
Fortis Hospital treats injured foreign player
Earlier in the morning, injured Spaniard Ariadna ‘Ari’ Geli Perez (Pune Panthers), the only foreign player in the Women’s League, successfully underwent surgery at Fortis Hospital Mohali, the medical partner of 3BL.
Delhi, Kochi lead standings at halfway mark
Prior to the start of Round 4, the standings at the end of the first three rounds were announced. Not surprisingly, the two most consistently dominant teams Delhi Divas and Kochi Stars lead the way. Following them are Pune Panthers, Ludhiana Queens, Coimbatore Spunkies and Jaipur Regals.
Round 4{Women’s League}Results
| Finals |
| Kochi Stars bt Delhi Divas 19-15 |
| Semifinals |
| Delhi Divas bt Coimbatore Spunkies21-9 Kochi Stars bt Ludhiana Queens 16-14 |
| League Rounds |
| Pool A Delhi Divas bt Pune Panthers 21-13 Ludhiana Queens bt Pune Panthers 18-14 Delhi Divas bt Ludhiana Queens 16-10 | Pool B Kochi Stars bt Coimbatore Spunkies21-16 Coimbatore Spunkiesbt Jaipur Regals 21-9 Kochi Stars bt Jaipur Regals 19-10 |
All results, team lists, pools and schedule can be accessed on the FIBA 3×3 website.
About 3×3 Pro Basketball League (‘3BL’) Season 3
3BL is India’s only Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and International Basketball Federation (FIBA) backed3x3 Pro Basketball League. The third season of the League is underway in Chandigarh, between 8-21 March 2022, and will take place over six two-day rounds.
Besides the chance to win each round, top teams also get the exclusive opportunity to compete at FIBA 3×3’s international circuit such as Challengers and World Tours.
‘3BL’ is an intellectual property of YKBK Enterprise Pvt. Ltd, under the leadership of Mr Rohit Bakshi (who is also the League Commissioner) and MrsPrerna Sharma (3BL Director).
More information at www.3x3bl.com
Follow 3BL on social media:
About 3×3 Basketball
Akin to the T20 version of cricket, 3×3 basketball is one of the fastest growing urban sports in the world.
Compared to traditional 5×5:
- 3×3 needs only a half-court and six players.
- It’s a 10-minute game.
- Highest score in 10 minutes or first team to score 21 points wins.
- Three-pointers are awarded two points, and two-pointers are awarded 1 point.
3×3 is not only FIBA’s second official discipline but was played for the first time at the Tokyo 2021Olympics, and will also be included in the Commonwealth Games – Birmingham 2022, Asian Games 2022 and the Paris 2024 Olympics.
FIBA 3×3 Video for more details: FIBA 3×3
