By Lorna Campbell
Melissa Teo (GS) of Singapore jostles with her Papua New Guinea opponent for position. Singapore went on to win their opening game of the World Youth Championships. (Photo courtesy of Lorna Campbell)
Glasgow, Scotland, Friday, August 23, 2013 – Singapore beat Papua New Guinea (PNG) 54–39 in their opening game of the World Youth Championship.
It was a nervy start for the Singapore side as they adjusted to the Pacific Islanders’ style of play and the pressure of playing inside the 7,000-capacity Emirates Arena.
They managed to gain composure in the closing minutes of the opening quarter however and get their nose in front for a 14–12 lead.
Melissa Teo and Jocelyn Ng worked well together in the scoring circle, aided by a consistent supply of possession from mid-court players Shelby Koh and Sitti Nurshawallah, to give them the shooting opportunities. They stretched ahead by half time with a 30–19 advantage.
PNG came out after the break with an increased intensity and rattled Singapore’s rhythm, gaining several turnovers to reduce the scoring margin. Singapore maintained their composure however and finished the quarter strongly for a 41–32 edge.
Singapore pushed further ahead in the fourth and final period, ending their opening match with a convincing 54–39 victory.
Coach Joanne Loo gave her post-match comments with a smile. She said: “I am very happy with that result. They stuck to the game plan of keeping this short and sharp and they looked to enjoy their time on court which always helps them play well.”
Co-Captain Shelby Koh added: “That went really well for us. We were always expecting a tough match and they made us fight for our win so I am really proud of the girls’ performance tonight.”
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