New Delhi, June 18: The steely nerves of Samrat Pratap and an excellent game plan by Uttar Pradesh boys saw them snatch a well-deserved 61-58 victory from the panicking Maharashtra in Pool C of the SAIL-sponsored 48th Junior National Basketball Championships today.

The thriller of a match gave a fresh lease of life to UP, who narrowly lost to Kerala last night in their first league match.

To begin with, it looked as if Maharashtra would walk away with the honours until the last five minutes when they led 51-44 after being 26-23 at the break. But in the nervy last moments, Pratap showed what opportunism is all about, and sealed the win with 18 points to his credit.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.