Meli Laddpeter 
[Photo: Supplied]
Fiji’s men’s basketball team suffered a narrow 70-67 defeat to hosts Solomon Islands in their Melanesian Cup opener last night, marking a challenging start to their title defense.
The defending champions came out strong, taking a 25-22 lead after the first quarter.
But the Solomon Islands responded well, seizing momentum in the second to lead 40-35 at halftime.
Fiji fought back in the third, drawing level twice at 44-all and 47-all, yet the hosts finished the quarter stronger, up 56-49.
The last quarter was tense, with Fiji briefly taking a 63-62 lead with under three minutes remaining.
However, late turnovers and missed chances proved costly as the Solomon Islands closed out a historic win, their first over Fiji in the tournament’s history.
They will now play Papua New Guinea at 12pm.
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