Dunman crowned champions after late fight-back against Chung Cheng in girls' B Div basketball

Story by REDintern Alan Chiang, Photos by Vanessa Lim/Red Sports

Jurong East Sports Hall, Thursday, April 30, 2009 - Dunman Secondary School showed fighting spirit in the final quarter to overcome an eight-point deficit and take home the girls’ B Division Basketball Championship title with a 49-46 win over Chung Cheng High (Main).

Both sides had met earlier in the East Zone championship prior to the final. With defending champions Raffles Girls’ School finishing third, the way was open for a new champion this year.

Chung Cheng began the match on a bright note with their key centre Amelia Lee (#10) contributing six vital points in the first quarter. Dunman fared just as well with Cecilia Ng (#10) and Foo Mei Geok (#7) combining for a total of 14 points in the first quarter, with three 3-pointers between the two of them. Both sides exchanged leads and walked off tied at 15-15 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was as tight as the first but it was Dunman who took advantage of their first possession and soon after, they managed to establish a four-point lead over Chung Cheng at 19-15. Needing to prevent Dunman from breaking away too easily, Chung Cheng stepped up a gear and managed to play a smooth-flowing game with some slick passing movements across the court. With sheer determination, they took over the lead at half-time at 26-25.

After a much-needed break, Chung Cheng improved their offensive and defensive plays with Yi Ling (#7), Amelia Lee (#10) and Yee Nei (#11) all combining well to hand their team a massive eight-point lead.

Dunman were forced into turnovers and their first points of the third quarter arrived only after four minutes. However, their tempo was not consistent and that allowed Chung Cheng to maintain a huge 39-31 lead by the end of the third quarter.

The final quarter saw Dunman switch into overdrive and they were led by Foo Mei Geok (#7) who made three successive three-pointers. With 3:48 left, the Chung Cheng coach called for a time-out to hammer out several tactics because their lead was reduced to a single point.

Immediately after the team talk, Dunman took over the lead as Cecilia Ng (#10) converted a tough shot near the baseline. The Dunman lead was extended further as Chung Cheng squandered many chances lost possession many times in the dying moments to finally lose the game.

Dunman completed yet another stunning comeback after they had overcome Raffles Girls' earlier in the semi-finals.

After the game, Foo Mei Geok (Dunman #7) said, "We just concentrated and never gave up till the end. We tried to encourage and help each other." She added, "We wanted to win this as many of us are in our final year already."

Apart from the championship title, Mei Geok also claimed the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

"At first we were out-rebounded by their centre Amelia Lee (CCHM #10),” said Dunman coach Danny Wong. “But in the fourth quarter, I decided to place three centres to counter their offensive work."

He added, "We have met them on several occasions before this game and we know that they are much faster and stronger physically. I guess it was the girls' fighting spirit that won us the game and the championship title."

Starting line-up
Dunman
#7 - Foo Mei Geok
#8 - Sarah Tan
#9 - Elouis Ng
#10 - Cecilia Ng
#13 - Patricia Chow

Chung Cheng High
#5 – Shuhadah
#7 – Yi Ling
#10 – Amelia Lee
#11 – Yee Nei
#12 - Tan Yuling

Scores by quarter
1st Q: DSS 15 CCHM 15
2nd Q: DSS 10 CCHM 11
3rd Q: DSS 6 CCHM 13
4th Q: DSS 18 CCHM 6

Top scorer
Dunman
Foo Mei Geok (#7) - 21 points
Cecilia Ng (#10) - 12 points

Chung Cheng
Amelia Lee (#10) - 15 points
Yee Nei (#11) - 9 points