The race for places in Ludhiana squad for the Punjab state basketball championships intensified on Monday as the district basketball championship entered its second day. Many teams registered convincing wins and close finishes across the Under-14 and Under-17 boys’ and girls’ categories.Under-17 boys’, IPS defeated Doraha Public School by 13 points, Gymkhana Club routed Ewing Club by 36 points (Manish/HT)In the Under-17 boys’ section, IPS defeated Doraha Public School by 13 points, led by Manthan (25 points) and Arpan Sandhu (23 points).DAV School, BRS Nagar, got the better of Guru Nanak Club by seven points, with Ranveer scoring 20 points and Anant adding 15, while Sivken Singh Dhillon scored 20 for the losing side.DAV School, Pakhowal, cruised past Greenland School, Civil City by 30 points, powered by Vivan’s 27-point effort, while DGSG edged Multipurpose School (B) by four points with Harshbir scoring 26.IPS later registered another win, defeating DAV School, Pakhowal by 14 points as Arpan Sandhu top-scored with 32 points — one of the best individual performances of the day.Gymkhana Club routed Ewing Club by 36 points, with Mansinran (14) and Manjot (10) leading the charge, while Multipurpose School (A) beat Velocity Public School by 22 points before overcoming Greenland School, Subhash Nagar by 28 points.In the Under-17 girls’ competition, Khalsa Club outclassed Doraha Academy by 30 points, with Ashnoor Kaur Grewal scoring 10 points. Doraha Public School edged DAV Public School by a solitary point in the closest contest of the day, with Alishdeep Kaur starring with 26 points and Navkiran Kaur contributing 16.The Under-14 boys’ category witnessed Jesus Sacred Heart beat Greenland School, Civil City by four points, DGSG defeat Star Sports Academy by 11 points, Greenland Club overcome Ludhiana Care Gureh by two points and later defeat BCM Dugri by 15 points, while Doraha Public School and BLA also registered victories. Siraaj, Aniket Paswan (15), Sarthi Sikka (16) and Partapvir Singh (12) were among the prominent scorers.In the Under-14 girls’ section, Ludhiana Care Sahnewal defeated Nxtzen Sports Academy by 22 points, with Sandhya scoring eight points. BCM School, Dugri, IPS, Greenland School (Subhash Nagar), Guru Nanak Club, DAV School (BRS Nagar) and DAV School, Pakhowal also recorded victories to advance in the tournament.