Raffles Girls’ and Unity girls qualify for national basketball semi-finals and other results

Story and pictures contributed by reader Ian Chew

Look at the elevation! Anglican High’s Kum Yu Shi (#13, in green, seen here on her way to a lay up) top scored with 19 points for her team. (Photo © Ian Chew)

Singapore Basketball Centre, Friday, 11 April, 2008 – Anglican High girls played the best match of their quarter-final qualifying campaign so far when they romped to a comprehensive victory over Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary. Led by forward Kum Yu Shi’s (#13) 19 points, the taller and stronger Anglican High team never looked in danger of losing the game. They extended a first half 26-8 lead to an eventual 55-32 win.

Ahmad Ibrahim’s only glimmer of a fightback was in the third quarter when led by star player Jia Jia’s (#12) two three-pointers, Ahmad Ibrahim managed to close the gap to 10 points at 18-28. The Anglican High girls were at this time committing many uncharacteristic turnovers as well to help provide much needed motivation for the Ahmad Ibrahim bench.

That was to prove a temporary respite for the Ahmad Ibrahim team as the Anglican High girls regrouped to close out the game with a 19-11 spurt in the fourth quarter. Needing to win by 15 points to have a hope of qualifying, Anglican High more than made up for that as they won by a 23-point margin.

However, the result mattered little to both teams as Unity pipped Raffles Girls’ 37-35 to finish top of the group. In a quirky qualifying scenario, both Anglican High and Ahmad Ibrahim needed Raffles Girls’ to win in order for any of them to proceed to the next stage.

Instead, Unity’s #14 Yvonne, scoring 8 of her 16 points in the final quarter, helped her team overturn a 21-27 deficit at the end of the third quarter to win 37-35. They outscored Raffles Girls’ 16-8 in the last quarter alone. Raffles Girls’ were led by forward #14 who scored 10 points for her team.

Unity Sec will next meet Nanyang Girls’ High School in an all West Zone semi-final while Raffles Girls’ take on Singapore Chinese Girls’ School in another all South Zone rematch.

In the Group Y boys quarter-final matches played also on the same day, Woodlands Ring lost out to Catholic High 49-60 and Chung Cheng High (Main) cruised to a 55-35 win over Gan Eng Seng despite resting their captain Colin Chou for most of the match.

Catholic High will face Seng Kang while Chung Cheng High (Main) will take on Jurong in the boys’ semi final. Teams from the South, East, North and West will be represented in the semi-finals.

All semi final matches will be played on Tuesday afternoon 15 April at the Singapore Basketball Centre.

Ahmad Ibrahim’s Jia Jia (#12, white) sparked her team on a third quarter rally, scoring 8 of her 15 points during this period. (Photo © Ian Chew)

Both Anglican High and Ahmad Ibrahim were determined not to concede the match, regardless of the result of the other game. (Photo © Ian Chew)

No foul! An RGS player stumbles while attempting a lay up. (Photo © Ian Chew)

Unity Sec clawed their way back from a third quarter 6-point deficit to tie the game at 31-31. (Photo © Ian Chew)

Unity Sec went on to take the game to RGS. Here Unity’s Joycelin (#6, in yellow) drives down the wing for a jumpshot. (Photo © Ian Chew)

No way through! Unity’s Joycelin (#6) was rejected at her second attempt! (Photo © Ian Chew)

The last minute time-out by Unity’s coach Jun Fang was crucial as Unity went on to take the winning lead. (Photo © Ian Chew)

Unity rode their good fortune throughout the entire national qualifying campaign to make it into the semi final rounds despite not playing their best in some matches. (Photo © Ian Chew)