Story by Ian Chew/Red Sports. Photos by Les.
Jurong East Sports Complex, Sunday, 29 June, 2008 – Cagers Desmond Oh coolly sank the second of two free throws late in the game to edge his team 76-75 ahead, despite the heckling of a very vocal Malaysian Junior Mens team in the crowd. That proved to be the winning basket, as the Malaysian Segamat Ringa Timor team fluffed both their subsequent attempts before the game expired.
In what was the best match by far in the tournament, both in quality of play and entertainment value, the SRT team looked set to bounce back from their defeat to the CLS Knights. Guard Soo Eng Heng (#4) drew first blood with a 3-point play.
Cagers giant centre Ha Xiao Yuan (#77) had a taste of the physical battle ahead when he was hammered while going to the basket. He converted his first two free throws though, in contrast to his poor record in the previous match.
Malaysian star forward and national player Chow Kin Hoong then showed why he was so highly rated. Scoring the next seven points of the SRT team, he single-handedly fended off the Cagers charge sparked by Desmond Oh and Wu Dai Hao. He and Eng Heng combined for 14 of his team’s 17 points in the first quarter.
Desmond, on the other hand, reveled in the space afforded by the Malaysians’ preoccupation with the two Taiwanese centres. He sliced through the SRT defense for 4 of his 5 points in the first quarter. The score ended 17-15 in SRT’s favour.
The second quarter saw good ball movement by the Cagers team in response to the zonal trapping defense of the Malaysians. Point guard Wong Wei Long displayed a quantum leap in improvement compared to his previous games, directing play with good ball distribution and expert ball control. As a result, the Cagers at one time held a massive 11-point lead, with forward Ng Han Bin (#35) downing two 3-pointers in a 15-2 run.
One discounts the experienced SRT warriors at his peril though.
Malaysian national team players K Satyaseelan (#9) and Koh Way Tek (#14) launched the SRT team comeback with deadly perimeter shooting. And just like that, the Cagers lead was whittled down to single point at the end of the first half. SRT centre Ang Tun Kaw (#10) scored a jumper at the buzzer to help his team just trail 34-35, putting themselves right back into the match.
The half time break provided little respite for the Cagers though, as SRT stunned the home team with back to back 3-pointers at the start of the third quarter. Centre Way Tek, also the Malaysian national team captain and inspirational point guard Chew In Lai (#7) added points for the visiting team. Suddenly the Cagers was staring a 7-point 37-44 deficit!
Time for the Singaporean youngsters to step up their game. And stepped up they did.
Desmond drove to the basket for a 3-point play, before Wei Long scored his second 3-pointer of the game to haul their team back into the game. Cagers captain Hong Wei Jian then showed the way by adding two lay-ups in a 10-0 run that restored the Cagers lead to 47-44.
Wei Jian’s second lay up was spectacular. Getting the ball deep in defense, he ran at two defenders, squeezing between them and dribbling the ball behind his back all at the same time. He then scored with a lefty layup, drawing huge shouts of appreciation from the crowd!
The Malaysians refused to fold though. Led by guard Tan Kian Hoong (#8), the team took full advantage of Cagers Ha Xiao Yuan being whistled for his fourth foul to attack the basket. Kian Hoong played a starring role during this time, scoring eight consecutive points for his team to just trail 57-59.
Carrying four fouls each for the Taiwanese centres Wu Dai Hao and Ha Xiao Yuan, the fourth quarter was tense affair for the Cagers. While the duo were able to power their way into the basket for points, the Malaysians showed their deadly accuracy from beyond the arc to keep the scores close. SRT also took advantage Cagers’ hesistancy in defense to drive constantly to the basket. Their late game strategy might just have won them the game if they had not been distracted by the officiating.
Instead, sniping constantly at the referees’ decisions, the Malaysian league champions lost the plot and neglected to focus on their defense. This led to two foul calls on the Malaysian team and Desmond and the Cagers were able to hang on for a hard fought victory.
An exhausted Desmond recounted that pivotal moment with 16 seconds left on the clock.
“I was feeling pain all over my body and difficulty breathing due to the aggressive defending of the Malaysian team, but i just ignored the discomfort and shot the free throw. Fortunately, it went in,” he related. He was the recipient of a flagrant foul just moments earlier when SRT’s Kin Hoong hauled him to the floor during an uncontested lay up.
That aside, the crowning of the Cagers team was a special moment for him.
“This is the first time that we (Cagers) as a team has ever won a championship! I’m truly happy,” he explained, obviously still stunned by the closely fought win.
In the earlier game, a lively Malaysian Junior Mens team pushed the CLS Knights all the way before succumbing 55-58 to their more experienced opponents. They have certainly won the admiration of the crowd with their courage and fighting spirit in this tournament, despite their youth!
The Indonesian CLS Knights clinched the runners-up spot, while Segamat Rimba Timor and the Malaysian Junior Men team finished third and fourth respectively.
Scorers for the Cagers:
Wu Dai Hao (#23) – 22 points
Wong Wei Long (#5) – 13 points
Desmond Oh (#2) – 12 points
Ha Xiao Yuan (#77) – 12 points
Ng Han Bin (#35) – 6 points
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