Juliet stars in CBSE UAE cluster basketball championship

Defending champions DPS-S who missed out narrowly from entering the final and in the bronze medal playoff due to injuries to point guard Joannu Ann Varghese and Juliet Johnny, at the 2011 all-India CBSE championships in Chennai, were again their usual self against arch rivals the Millennium School-Dubai, in this year’s title round of the UAE cluster tournament.

A week ago, DPS-S, the hosts of the Sundeep Batavia multi event sports festival, had stopped the ambitions of the upcoming youngsters from Millennium in the title clash. In the cluster showdown, DPS-S won 42-15 after being perched ahead with a 19-7 half time advantage.

Sanu Thomas, the Millennium coach said: “We have two players from the 12^th grade and the rest from the 9^th and 10^th. For eventual championship buildup we need to have the regularly groomed ones available which is not a guarantee at the beginning of every academic year when students return home for their studies. The present players are slowly but steadily on the rise-path at the moment.”

“The reliable present first-five keeps us going smoothly but they, being 12 graders, will be playing their last school events this year. We have a bench strength which is gaining in confidence for the years ahead,” said T. Ali, the DPS-S coach. Juliet, shrugged off her nagging leg injury, to power DPS-S to the glittering trophy against the fighting Millennium first-five this time in Ajman.

The bespectacled power point and pivot for the champions earned 17 invaluable points on the scoresheet which was well supported by the all-conquering first-five members of the DPS-S squad, though this time, Ali allowed enough room for the bench strength to gain match experience from the third quarter.

The final score presented a one-sided story which was not the case in the first quarter at the Michi venue.