Proud Effort Despite Defeat
By Crofton Utukana
The Solomon Islands women’s and men’s basketball teams both lost their games yesterday at the Day two of the FIBA Melanesian Cup, held at Friendship Hall in Honiara.
The women’s team was defeated by Fiji, 60–34, while the men’s team lost to New Caledonia, 58–49.
Despite the loss, men’s team captain Alex Masaea told SIBC Sports that he was proud of the team’s performance.
He insists that the result showed great improvement compared to their heavy 98–38 defeat to New Caledonia in the 2022 Melanesian Cup.
“I’d really like to thank the boys and the team management because it’s not often we come this close in terms of score margin,” Masaea said.
“In 2022, New Caledonia beat us with a big margin. So I’m really proud of my boys, even though we lost.”
Masaea also pointed out that the current squad is mostly made up of young, developing players.
“Some of us are starting to phase out due to age, but the core of the team is growing. Captain Masaea highlights that this is the beginning of the results from the legacy of the Sol2023 Pacific Games.
“A huge thanks to the government for investing in sports,’’ he said.
He also highlighted their historic win over Fiji in their opening match on Monday, where Solomon Islands won 70–67 is a major boost for the team.
Looking ahead, the Solomon Islands men’s team has two final matches remaining in the competition, against Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Vanuatu. To stay in contention, they must win both matches.
In their last Melanesian Cup meeting, Solomon Islands beat PNG 77–65. However, Masaea says Thursday’s game will be a challenge.
“We beat PNG in the last Melanesian Cup, but during the Sol2023 Pacific Games, they defeated us 81–34.
“So we’ll go back to the drawing board and come up with a game plan for Thursday,’’ he added.
Masaea also thanked the home crowd who rally their support behind the team during their first two matches. Meanwhile, both Solomon Islands teams are taking a rest day today as day three of the tournament continues.
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