Victoria crush Saints’ hope with 50-41 win in Quarterfinal

In a precarious win-all, lose-all situation on Day Two of the National ‘A’ Boys Basketball quarterfinal round, Victoria Junior College (VJC) crushed St Andrew’s Junior College’s (SAJC) hope of securing a berth on the semifinal with a 50-41 victory, while ensuring for themselves a continued stab at the runner-up position in Group X.

Saint Jian Ming (no.6) goes on a lay-up against VJC’s Shangyunn (no.5) and Wei Deng (no.4).  © Lee Hwee Cheng

It was a slow start for both sides in the first period, as both camps got off a pretty cold shooting form.  Easy-as-ABC lay-ups were missed, jumpers were not sinking, ball possession could not be kept, bad passes were committed unnecessarily.  It was only in the fourth minute that the very first point of the game was scored when VJC’s Zhi Xin (no.9) made a free throw from a foul drawn on a lay-up drive. 

Saints had begun their game with a well-executed man-to-man defense, forcing VJC to commit a couple of mispasses and turnovers, depriving them of a few shots at goal as a result.  But back on the offensive end, they were unable to capitalize on their defensive successes and their usually cohesive teamwork as they found themselves just unable to sink in most shots created from their set-up plays.  On the other hand, VJC struggled initially with their own inability to find the baskets or to convert chances into points.  But a three-point play from Wei Deng (no.4) who was body-bumped on his way on a fast-break lay-up put VJC on an early 4-0 lead.  To counter Saints’ defense, the VJC boys pulled the offense set-up wide and gave big guys Zhi Xin and Kenneth (no.13) much space to dominate the paint with one-on-one plays against Saints’ relatively weaker centres.  The two boys went on to score six more points for VJC in the period, while Saints managed to find only two baskets and a converted free throw.  VJC led 10-5 at the end of first period.

Saint Alwyn (no.5) tries to stop a shot from VJC’s Wei Deng (no.4).  © Lee Hwee Cheng

In the first half of the second period, the scoring bug continued to elude Saints as VJC pulled away to a nine-point lead with Wei Deng making a shot-clock-beater off a somewhat awkward left-handed bank-shot and Zhi Xin converting two free throws from a hard foul off a jumper in the paint.  In the fifth minute, finally, Saints broke free from the scoring drought and closed the gap to five points again with a fast-break assist from Kok Yong (no.9) to Alwin (no.14), who in turned assisted teammate Jian Ming (no.6) on a consecutive fast break.  Another jumper off a rebound from Alwyn (no.5) put them just behind by three points at 11-14. 

VJC’s Zhi Xin and Kenneth continued dominating the offensive key and popped in another six points together, and teammate Shangyunn (no.5) finished the second-period scoring for VJC with a fast-break lay-up.  Saints struggled to find two more tough baskets, both hard won rebounds from Alwin (no.14).   By the end of the second period, VJC maintained the lead at 22-15.

Saint Alwyn (no.5) and teammate pull a double-team on VJC’s menace-in-the-paint Kenneth (no.13 in white).  © Lee Hwee Cheng

Within the first thirty seconds of the second half, Saints boosted their spirits with a three-pointer from the baseline from Kok Yong.  But the dampener came within the minute as VJC’s Wan Xin (no.7) put in two consecutive three-pointers of his own, and single-handedly put the team ahead by ten points.  In the next four minutes, Saints switched on their turbo and went on a 9-0 run, mostly resulting from good chemistry between forwards, from drive-and-dish tactics on set-plays or fast breaks.  Jian Ming drove the quick attacks, once dishing the ball to Alwyn for an open shot under the basket, and then in a seamless display of on-court chemistry, dishing an unexpected no-look to teammate Alwyn on the right lane while seeming to go on a lay-up on the left himself after driving against four defenders.  Alwyn contributed to the run with a three-point play from a foul off a left-lane lay-up, and with less than four minutes in the period, Saints found themselves just two mere points behind VJC at 27-29.

But it was at this point, with 3:23 left on the clock, that VJC sped off suddenly with a 10-2 run of their own.  In less than ninety seconds, VJC put in three consecutive baskets and the score widened to a eight-point difference again.  Saints’ Alwyn, with his long limbs and bendy body, executed a head-fake, followed by a drive to the basket against two defenders and scored on an off-balance footing to narrow the gap to six.  But in the final minute, VJC popped in two more baskets and ended the third period with a ten-point lead at 39-29.

Big and small:  VJC’s Kenneth (no.13) tries to box out Saint Kok Yong (no.9).  © Lee Hwee Cheng

It was VJC’s Daniel this time around in the final period, who popped in a morale-boosting three-pointer within the first thirty seconds.  Wan Xin and Wei Deng contributed two baskets with a lay-up and a jumper, and even with a jumper from Saints’ Alwyn at the other end, VJC had suddenly pulled ahead with a 15-point lead at 46-31 in just under three minutes of the start of the fourth period.  Saints switched their defensive strategy at this point to a full-court press and, catching VJC’s offense off-guard and going on quick counter-attacks, managed to narrow the gap to a ten points.  After conceding another basket by VJC’s Shangyunn, Saints continued their pressurizing defense and their counter-attacks to catch up with VJC but time was running out on them.  After two baskets that resulted from defensive steals, they found themselves just seven points behind with two minutes left on the clock.  But Saints failed to create magic and failed to keep possession and make the necessary baskets.  VJC’s Wei Deng contributed the last points from two free throws in the final ten seconds to seal the victory for his team 50-41.

A tussle for the ball on the ground while Saint’s Jian Ming (no.6) decides if he should join in the fun.  © Lee Hwee Cheng

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