A-League: The sixth place Jaguars knocked out the number one seeded Pazaps, 71 to 54 in the semis pulling off the biggest upset in the ongoing Pepsi “A” league basketball tournament at the swimming pool complex, yesterday.

The Jaguars entered the semi-finals with a decisive win against a third placed team, Phojas in a 3 game series. In their first game of the semis, Jaguars defeated Pazaps by a lone basket last Saturday.

Yesterday, in a seesaw battle, Jaguars held on to their 10 points lead in the dying minutes of the third quarter. They took the fourth quarter with a storm and sealed their place at the finals with an enormous 17 points lead.

Pema Gyaltshen of Jaguars scored 26 points including six three-pointers and one rebound. Pazaps were probably missing their highest scorer HRH Jigme Dorji Wangchuck who is also one of the highest scorers of the tournaments. With 21.7 points per game (ppg) to his name in the tournament, his absence left a big hole in the team.

Meanwhile, in the other semi-final, Jachung defeated Wizards, 74 to 57. In the first game on Saturday, Wizards beat Jachungs by 93 to 70. The two teams will play the deciding match on Wednesday. The winner will face Jaguars in the finals. The finals will also be a 3 game series to decide the champions of the “A” division league.

A total of eight teams took part in the tournament, which started on February 21, coinciding with the birth anniversary of His Majesty the King. Bhutan Basketball Federation organised the tournament with support from Pepsi.

By Younten Tshedup