BASKETBALL

LIVE REPORT FROM TOA PAYOH SPORTS HALL

National ‘B’ Division Boys’ Final
Gan Eng Seng Secondary School vs Catholic High School
Wednesday, 25 April, 2007, at Toa Payoh Sports Hall

Live report by Lee Hwee Cheng.  Pictures by Leslie Tan. Highlights of final in episode 10 of RedSportsTV. © Red Sports/soulbreath pictures




GES’s Yap Kian Leong (#7) goes for a lay-up in the first quarter of the National ‘B’ Boys’ Final. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

Hello, everybody!!

This is Cheng, coming to you once again LIVE from Toa Payoh Sports Hall, where the tip-off of the National ‘B’ Division Boys’ Basketball Final is about to happen.  Leslie is THE main man today, shooting highlights of the game, as well as filming for an upcoming episode of RedSportsTV.

We are attempting a new feat today:  we’ll be bringing you a live report of the game as it happens, and we’ll be trying to bring you the pictures live over the update as well.

I know… we are just as excited as you are over there at your office desk, home or the school’s canteen.

Here are the starting line-up for the ‘B’ Boys’ Final.

GES
#4  Wong Zi Xian
#6  Pek Jia Rong
#7  Yap Kian Leong
#8  Kayle Jordan Macapugay
#11  Clarence Leong Qin Jun

CH
#9  Shawn Lim Fang Ching
#10  Chiam Hong Yao
#11  Chester Leow Kai Jun
#12  Khaw Yeong Wooi
#14  Chong Ming Xuan

CH’s Chong Ming Xuan (#14) goes for a lay-up in the National ‘B’ Boys’ Final. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

LIVE REPORT

Quarter 4
00:00 – Final whistle blows, and Catholic High beat GES 61-50.
00:07 – GES call for a final time-out.  But time seems running out.
00:35 – GES’s Clarence makes a hurried unforced shot but misses.  The possession turns over to CH.
01:01 – GES call for time-out.
01:01 – CH’s Ming Xuan makes an hurried, unforced shot from the free-throw line but it hits nothing but air.  The possession turns over to GES at this crucial point.  Score: 50-61.
01:43 – GES Jia Rong receives an outlet pass from his teammates and throws a long pass to Kayle who goes on an smooth easy lay-up.  Score:  50-61.
02:35 – Shawn makes one of two free-throws.  Score:  48-61.
02:36 – CH’s Shawn drives down again for another fast-break, but gets a massive foul from GES’s Kian Leong as he goes up for the lay-up.
03:14 – There is a long tussle for possession of the ball as CH’s Hong Yao and Chester try to stop GES’s Jia Rong from counter-attacking. 
04:34 – GES Ng Zhao Feng (#5) answers immediately with a three of his own, and keeps the score difference at 12 points.  Score:  48-60.
04:52 – There is no stopping CH’s Shawn Lim.  He pops a three from the base-line.  Score:  45-60.
05:25 – CH Yeong Wooi gets triple-teamed as he receives a pass at the baseline, but he passes the ball out to Shawn, assisting him in a field-goal as a result.  Score:  45-57.
05:49 – It is now a 10-point game.  Score:  45-55.
06:44 – CH Shawn drives down the right lane for a fast-break and sees Yeong Wooi sprinting down the left flank.  The duo attempt an alley oop as Shawn makes a lob pass from mid-court.  But the ball goes out of bounds.
07:23 – GES score another basket, and it is now a 12-point game.  Score:  43-55.
08:15 – GES Jia Rong stuns with another three-pointer.  Score:  41-55.
09:45 – GES start the final quarter with a three-pointer from Jia Rong.  Score:  38-51.

Quarter 3
00:00 – End of third quarter:  35-51.
02:28 – CH Shawn gets a rest as Hong Yao comes in for a substitution.  Score:  33-49.
03:29 – CH Shawn saves a loose ball, and finds himself in a favorable position near the basket for an easy two.  CH lead pulls ahead to 18 points.  Score:  31-49.
04:10 – CH keep up 16-point lead.  Score:  31-47.
05:20 – CH Yeong Wooi drives all the way down from the defensive court for a lay-up, with Shawn and Hong Yao flanking him.  He chooses to drive to the basket and brings GES Jia Rong down in the process.
07:20 – GES Clarence makes a jump-shot from the free-throw line.  Score:  27-43.
07:01 – CH Shawn goes one-on-one with GES defender, drives around him and makes an easy lay-up. 
08:52 – CH Shawn Lim attempts a three-point shot but the ball rebounds off the rim.  Ming Xuan flies out from nowhere, grabs the rebound and puts it in for a easy basket.  Sore:  25-39.

GES’s Clarence Leong (#11) goes for a lay-up against CH’s Chiam Hong Yao in the National ‘B’ Boys’ Final. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

Quarter 2
00:00 – End of first half:  25-37.
00:11 – GES Kian Leong drives down the left lane for a fast-break but draws shooting foul from CH Hong Yao (#10).  He makes one free-throw.
00:35 – Both teams drive coast-to-coast on simultaneous fast-breaks but remain scoreless.
00:46 – CH lead by 13 points.  Score:  24-37.
01:10 – GES Jia Rong drives up on the right lane for a fast-break, but runs into CH Chong Ming Xuan (#14) and loses the ball.
02:00 – CH play a very tight man-to-man defence.  GES Kian Leong tries to run around for space, but finds himself manmarked.
03:06 – GES Jia Rong makes a drive down the left lane, drawing the defence towards him.  Wong Zi Xian (#4) sneaks along the baseline, and Jia Rong dishes a pass to him.  Zi Xian scores on a reverse hook.  Score: 20-35.
05:17 – GES Kian Leong makes another field-goal.  Score:  18-29.
05:38 – GES Jia Rong picks a dish-off from Clarence Leong (#11) and pops a jump-shot.  Score:  16-29.
06:47 – GES Kian Leong scores a field-goal.  Score: 14-27.
08:18 – Quarter 2 kicks off and CH scores a quick 4.  Score:  10-25.

Quarter 1
00:00 – End of first quarter:  10-21.
01:18 – GES Yap Kian Leong (#7) makes a fast-break.  Score:  8-19.
02:04 – CH Yeong Wooi intercepts a pass in the defensive paint, passes to Hong Yao who assists Shawn for another fast-break.  Score:  4-19.
02:29 – Shawn fails to make it a four-point play.
02:29 – CH Shawn Lim makes a three-pointer from the base-line, and draws a foul from GES Kayle Jordan Macapugay (#8).  Chance to a four-point play?  Score:  4-17.
03:32 – GES call for a time-out.
03:32 – Shawn Lim goes on another fast-break.  Score:  2-14.
04:13 – CH Shawn Lim goes on his trademark, one-handed lay-up.  Score: 2-12.
04:37 – GES play tough defence early in the first quarter, but CH pull ahead quickly to a 10-2 lead.
06:43 – CH Khaw Yeong Wooi rejects a shot from GES.
06:50 – CH Shawn Lim (#9) goes for a fast-break drive.  Score:  2-6.
07:44 – GES Pek Jia Rong (#6) drives on the left lane to the basket but dishes off to Clarence Leong (#11) for a basket. Score: 2-4.
08:51 – CH Chiam Hong Yao (#10) drives to the basket on a fast-break.  Score: 0-4.

Catholic High win their third consecutive National ‘B’ Division Championship title with a 61-50 victory over Gan Eng Seng.

Please watch this space for the action shots and the post-game report.

Thanks for staying with us throughout the live report!

This is Cheng, signing out.