B Division South Zone Basketball: Raffles Institution win first title since 2001 with victory over Gan Eng Seng

Story and photos by Les Tan/Red Sports

Delta Sports Complex, Wednesday, March 2, 2011 — Raffles Institution beat Gan Eng Seng School 62-42 to capture the B Division South Zone Basketball Championship for the first time since 2001.

RI, who finished fourth last year in the zone, led 31-27 at half-time.

A highlight of the match was when RI’s Zhuang Baokun (#5) scored a buzzer beater at the end of the second quarter from the three-point line in his own half.

“That was the first time I’ve ever done that! Very shiok, lah!” said Baokun.

RI settled well and were comfortably ahead at the end of the first quarter at 22-10. However, their scoring deserted them in the second quarter. For six minutes, RI were held scoreless as Gan Eng Seng put on a 12-0 run to tie it up at 22-22 with 4:02 left to half-time.

Gan Eng Seng dropped a 3-pointer to trail only by one point at 27-28 and it would have stayed that way if not for Baokun’s long-range buzzer beater from way inside his own half that saw the RI bench celebrate widely.

Whatever was ailing RI in the second quarter was solved in the third as Gan Eng Seng could not sustain their momentum. At one point in the third, RI led by as many as 20 points at 51-31.

By the fourth quarter, the outcome of the match was beyond doubt with RI establishing their largest lead of 25 points at 62-37.

With the 62-42 victory, RI are now unbeaten in 10 games while Gan Eng Seng have a 7-3 win-loss record.

RI finished top of their first round group, winning all four of their games and outscoring their opponents 273-109. Their biggest win in that round was an 89-22 win over First Toa Payoh Secondary.

It was more of the same from RI in the second round where they again finished first in their group, outscoring the other four teams 250-133. RI set a new scoring high for themselves in this round, this time at the expense of National Junior College, with a 93-30 victory.