Nepal’s good start in the first three quarters helped the team take the game in its side despite a fightback by Bangladesh in the last quarter. [break]
Sadish Pradhan and Binod Maharjan helped Nepal win the first quarter 23-19.
Nepal won the second quarter 19-14 to extend its lead by nine points as the overall score was 42-33.
By the end of the second quarter, Pradhan and Maharjan had scored 15 and 12 points respectively with two three pointers each.
Nepal dominated the third quarter with a 15-9 victory to extend the lead by 15 points. Despite taking a 17-point
lead earlier in the quarter, the lead was cut down to 15 by Bangladesh as Nepal’s defense went wrong.
In the final quarter, Nepal continued its dominance but failed to register victory as it lost 16-20. Despite the loss, the lead taken in the previous periods was enough for the win.
Pradhan and Maharjan were the stars in Nepal’s victory as they jointly scored 45 points out of the total 73 points of Nepal. Pradhan had attempted 18 field goals out of which he converted nine into the basket. Pradhan had six assists and two rebounds in his name. Maharjan converted seven shots into basket off 12 attempts. He also had claimed nine offensive and defensive rebounds.
Nepal utilized the turnovers of Bangladesh to guide the team for lead in every quarter. Nepal scored nine points from the turnovers while the opponent was able to score only four.
Meanwhile, India qualified for the FIBA Asian Championship after defeating Sri Lanka in the final. The championship will be held in China in September.
Related story
Nepal wins bronze at International Astronomy Olympiad
