Raffles Junior College break ACJC hearts to retain netball crown with buzzer beater
Story and pictures contributed by reader Marvin Lowe.
Toa Payoh Sports Hall, Friday, May 16, 2008 – In probably the most exciting netball final in recent years, Raffles Junior College pipped Anglo-Chinese JC to the title by a single point, scoring in the very last second of play to win 51-50. It was a heartbreaking moment for ACJC at the final whistle and RJC celebrated like there was no tomorrow.
ACJC had started the game much in control, having the lead almost throughout the entire game. They sped off to a 5-1 lead right at the start of the first quarter, only to have RJC fight back to level the score at 11-11 by the end of the first quarter. That was how it was for most parts of the game, with ACJC attempting to stretch the lead and RJC fighting back to keep the leaders within striking distance.
By the end of the 2nd quarter, ACJC had already built a comfortable eight-point lead. This lead was not to last for long as RJC patiently worked hard to chip this advantage away. Both teams entered the final quarter knowing that they could not afford anymore turnovers. With the lead whittled down to just three points, RJC were now within striking distance of the trophy. With four minutes to go, ACJC’s Yini committed a fatal error when a pass was mis-handled. RJC then chipped the lead down even more as they successfully converted on their two possessions.
All set for a nail-biting finish, ACJC turned the ball over once more. This time, RJC delivered their finishing blow and edged ahead for the first time in the game. With RJC leading with one point and less than a minute on the clock, both teams exchanged points right until the last 10 seconds. With the clock winding down to zero, ACJC’s GS nailed the game-tying bucket amidst the electric atmosphere. The score was now 50-50 and sudden-death extra time was in play. Just when it seemed like the ACJC WD had made a timely interception, the umpire ruled in RJC’s favour instead. The ball was passed to RJC’s Silei (GS) who calmly sunk the final basket to seal ACJC’s fate. The final whistle was blown immediately after the basket was made, sending RJC into ecstasy, ACJC into despair.
The ACJC team collapsed in devastation while the RJC team rejoiced at their near-escape and shocking victory. Tears flowed freely on both sides. In a post match interview, an inconsolable ACJC captain, Celeste Lee said, “We just didn’t treasure our possessions enough. Both teams fought really hard till the end. I am still very proud of my team and for the effort they have given.”
On the other hand, RJC’s Captain, Carmen Goh, was simply over the moon at their victory. Beaming with joy, she said, “We were down by eight (points) at one time but we fought hard to pull back, winning this game in the end. We have met some of them in the B Division tournament before so we knew their style of play. We trained before the game to counter their strategies and our plan was to take control of the mid court area. Credit to ACJC. They played well and gave us a good fight.” Carmen had previously met Celeste and her CHIJ (Toa Payoh) team-mates in the B division tournament and lost the title to them then. This victory was in some sense, sweet revenge for the Rafflesians.
Ed’s note: If you recognise yourself or your teammates in any of the photos, feel free to leave the names behind in the comments section and we will update the captions accordingly.
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