Let the game begin. (Photo 1 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
Jurong East Sports Complex, Thursday, August 18, 2011 — Unity Secondary’s Shaun Ang (#15) put in a sterling display at the boards to lead his team to a 63-59 win over Catholic High in the final of the National C Division Boys’ Basketball Championship.
He scored 14 points and also garnered the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in a venue that proved be a successful hunting ground for Unity Secondary.
Unity’s girls team had earlier cruised to a 73-51 win over Anglican High to capture the National C Division girls’ title. Unity’s Au Zi Yu (#9) won the MVP title in the girls’ category.
Catholic High though provided a much stiffer resistance in the boys’ final. Point guard Loh Wan Yuan (CH #11) showed a glimpse of Catholic High’s quickness at the guard position with a basket straight after tip off to put his team 2-0 up. Unity weathered the early offensive onslaught to go up 5-2 midway into the first quarter, with forward Foo Junjie (#6) showing his range from the 3-point arc.
Yet that was as far as they would go in the first quarter as Catholic High stormed back for a 10-5 lead at the first-quarter buzzer.
The second quarter saw both teams canceling each other out with Unity’s Junjie scoring again from beyond the 3-point line and forward JOhnson Yeoh (#8) scoring three consecutive baskets. Catholic High though replied with a near perfect record at the free throw line with seven shots out of eight in the second quarter to negate any advantage Unity enjoyed. The first half ended with Catholic High 28-23 in the lead.
Unity switched tactics to a man-to-man defence against Catholic High in the third quarter and it paid dividends as the Catholic High forwards failed to execute their passing well. At the same time, Unity rotated their players constantly and their fresher legs helped the team chip away at Catholic High’s lead.
Yet Catholic High maintained their lead into the fourth quarter by making full use of their free throw opportunities. Catholic High ended the third quarter 43-39 in the lead.
Unity launched themselves into the fourth quarter with a 20-9 run that gave them their first and biggest lead of the game at 59-52. A key reason for their success was their offensive rebounding, led by Shaun, that gave them numerous opportunities in offense. Unity’s Junjie and Pay Xuanju (#9) also added 3-pointers to help their team pull away in the final quarter.
Catholic High showed they were not done with quick interceptions for fast break baskets. The Unity lead was trimmed to 61-57 with a minute to go with both sets of school supporters rocking the sports complex with cheers for their teams.
Unity though, managed to hold out for a 63-59 win to celebrate a memorable double success at the National C Division Championships.
Unity Lineup
Foo Junjie (#6), Wismon Lum (#7), Johnson Yeoh (#8), Pay Xuanju (#9), Jason Ong Ye Xun (#10), Lim Chu Ming (#11), Lim Jinkai (#12), Darryl Lee (#13), Lee Kovic (#14), Shaun Ang (#15)
Catholic High Lineup
Wesley Teo (#4), Dylan Chua (#5), Ng Zheng Qin (#7), Roy Wang (#9), Joel Ong (#10), Loh Wan Yuan (#11), Toh Tze Chong (#15)
Scoring by Quarters
Catholic High v Unity
1st Q: 10-5
2nd Q: 18-18 (28-23)
3rd Q: 14-16 (32-39)
4th Q: 16-24
Final Score: 63-59
Top Scorers
Loh Wan Yuan (Catholic High #11) – 21 points
Toh Tze Chong (Catholic High #15) – 15 points
Shaun Ang (Unity #15) – 14 points
Joel Ong (Catholic High #10) – 14 points
Johnson Yeoh (Unity #8) – 10 points
Foo Junjie (Unity #6) – 9 points
National C Division Standings
Boys
1st – Unity Secondary
2nd – Catholic High School
3rd – Dunman Secondary
4th – Jurong Secondary
Girls
1st – Unity Secondary
2nd – Anglican High School
3rd – Singapore Chinese Girls’ School
4th – Dunman Secondary
Unity Girls’ Lineup
Rachel Yeo (#4), Priscilla Wong (#5), Maisarah Sauki (#7), Ng Xin Yi (#8), Au Zi Yu (#9), Cheryl Ong (#10), Chia Siu Wei (#11), Musrifah Masiran (#12), Lim Xiang Xuan (#13), Eilya Sabrina (#14), Jessah (#15)
Anglican High Girls’ Lineup
Please share the name list if you have it in the following format: full name (jersey number)
Unity #14 is Lee Kovic .
USS #7 wismon lum
Unity C-Boy:
Lim Chu Ming (#11)
Darryl Lee (#13)
uss # 4 Jacinth Figueroa
uss#10 Jason Ong Ye xun
uss#9 pay xuanju
uss#6 foo junjie
uss#12 lim jinkai
Unity #15 is Shaun Ang not Shawn Ang
Unity #8 is Johnson Yeoh