By Koh Yizhe/Red Sports

Unity Secondary vs Yishun Secondary National B Division boys' Basketball Championship first round

Peter Soo checks on Wong Keng Yang after he got whacked in the eye by Yishun’s Tan Yuan Bin. (Photo 1 © Koh Yizhe/Red Sports)

Clementi Sports Hall, Tuesday, April 6, 2010 - Unity Secondary claimed top spot with a comfortable 84-63 victory against Yishun Secondary in Group C of the B Division Basketball Championship but a violent incident marred the win.

Tan Yuan Bin (Yishun #9) looked to have swung his arm at Wong Keng Yang (Unity #8) on a Yishun fast break in the second quarter, catching him on his right eye. Keng Yang immediately went down holding his right eye and a foul was called on Yuan Bin. Keng Yang played no further part in the game and left the venue with an ice pack on his face.

“I left after I was punched. I went to clinic and after that to Alexandra hospital. I don’t know why he did that to me,” Keng Yang told Red Sports. “I didn’t provoke him or do anything to him before the incident.”

For those watching from the sidelines, it was a physical game.

“From what I saw before the foul, some Yishun players were being a little rough while Unity were being rather composed as usual,” said Hang Zi Kai, 17, of NUS High, who was watching the game. “In the second quarter, Unity started to pull away in points. Then I think the foul happened in the second quarter when the Yishun number 9 committed the foul. After that the Unity players got a bit fired up at the foul, as anyone would. After half-time, the Unity #14, Wei Xiang, committed a charging foul on the Yishun #9, when he was doing a fast break layup.”

Before that incident, it was a close game of basketball with Yishun keeping up with the favourites. With qualification in the bag for the two sides, it was a matter of who would top the group and be assured of a better draw in the next round and Yishun looked to be the better side in the opening exchanges.

Although they trailed by one point at the end of the first quarter at 14-15, Yishun were still very much pushing the West Zone champions to their limits. Zhou Zhen Qiang led the scoring for his side with a total of 22 points, including a three-pointer to start the match.

However, Unity took control of the game in the second quarter, taking it easily 21-14 for a 36-28 lead at the half.

It was a very different story in the second half as Unity turned up their game and began to extend their lead. Although they rested some of their starting five, they still managed to stretch their lead to easily take the match.

"This is our hardest game so far but we are quite happy with the results," said Unity captain Remus Low, who scored a game-high 30 points, after the game. "We are definitely aiming for the championship and I think North Vista will be our biggest threat. For Yishun, their offense was good, but we managed to pull off the win. It doesn't matter who we face in the next round and we'll take it as it comes."

Scoring by Quarters
Unity vs Yishun
1st Q: 15-14
2nd Q: 21-14
3rd Q: 26-13
4th Q: 22-23

Top Scorers
Remus Low (Unity #9) – 30 points
Zhou Zhen Qiang (Yishun #13) – 22 points
Delvin Goh (Unity #13) – 16 points

Yishun Lineup
Warren Tan (#4)
Tay Wen Cheng (#5)
Qamarul (#6)
Toh Hong Sheng (#7)
Tan Jun Ming (#8)
Tan Yuan Bin (#9)
Goh Wei Xuan (#10)
Oh Jun Hao (#11)
Jordan Wang (#12)
Zhou Zhen Qiang (#13)
Toh Qing Huang (#14)
Ong Xin Ren (#15)

Unity Lineup
Peter Soo (#4)
Fangcie (#5)
Desmond (#6)
David Soo (#7)
Wong Keng Yang (#8)
Remus Low (#9)
Gaddiel See (#10)
Fabian (#11)
Bingshu (#12)
Delvin Goh (#13)
Ng Weixiang (#14)
Ivan Chua (#15)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDHrZ9Df8O0