BASKETBALL

adidas It Takes 5ive Schools’ Basketball Championship 2007
Yuying Secondary School vs Hua Yi Secondary School
Thursday, 23 August 2007 at CCAB

Update and pictures by Leslie Tan. © Red Sports/soulbreath pictures

Yuying beat Hua Yi 36-35 to surprise everyone with a place in the adidas It Takes 5ive Final against Bedok Green.

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Ngai Hui Min of Hua Yi (in white) dribbles around Chua Wei Kiaw of Yuying. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

Yuying led by a comfortable 13-4 at the end of the first quarter and still had a nine-point lead at the end of the second with a 23-14 score line. However, things fell apart in the third for Yuying when Hua Yi outscored them 12-5. Suddenly, the nine-point lead was reduced to only two with Hua Yi only trailing 26-28.

At the start of the fourth, Hua Yi drew level at 28-28 and the things started to get more tense for both teams. Hua Yi then raised the stakes when they moved ahead to lead by three points at 32-29 with one minute on the clock left in the fourth. But Yuying exploded for two quick baskets within seconds to go one point ahead at 33-32 which left the Hua Yi bench stunned. Chua Wei Kiaw (#5) of Yuying then drove home the advantage when she sank two free throws in a pressure situation to make it a three-point lead for her team at 35-32. Lai Sok Kuan then gave Yuying more room to breathe with another successful free throw to make it 36-32. Fighting back, Ngai Hui Min (#5) raised Hua Yi hopes when sank a 3-pointer with seconds left but it was not enough to stop Yuying from winning a thrilling match 36-35.

The tip-off for the Final is 3:30 pm on Monday, 27 August 2007 at the Singapore Basketball Centre.

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Chan Mei Fen of Hua Yi goes on a layup. She scored a team-high 13 points. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

Yuying:

#4 – Chee Xiu Zhen
#5 – Chua Wei Kiaw
#6 – Lai Sok Kuan
#7 – Tang Choy Ting (team manager)
#8 – Soh Ellis
#9 – Tan Li Ying
#10 – Joyce Teoh
#11 – Chia Pei Sze
#12 – Tan Ee Ni (Captain)

Hua Yi:

#4 – Sim Jia En
#5 – Ngai Hui Min (vice-capt)
#6 – Joscelyn Yoo
#7 – Chan Mei Fen
#8 – Tan Liyi
#9 – Tan Lee Mei (vice-capt)
#10 – Tee Yi Huan
#11 – Kelly Chan (capt)
#12 – Lim Xue Ping
#13 – Looi Zi Hui
#14 – Pang Xin Yi
#15 – Nicole Chan

Match statistics:

1st quarter: Yuying 11-4 Hua Yi
2nd: 10-10
3rd: 5-12
4th: 8-9

Top scorers:

Yuying: Tang Choy Ting (13 pts)
Hua Yi: Chan Mei Fen (13 pts – one 3-pointer)

Editor’s note: More pictures in the gallery.