By REDintern Joseph Lee
Jang Wook (PHS #5) driving past the Yishun #6 who was caught totally off guard and went in the opposite direction. (Photo 1 © Joseph Lee/Red Sports)
Singapore Basketball Centre, Monday, February 27, 2012 — Presbyterian High led from start to finish to beat Yishun Secondary 68-62 in an exciting semi-final of the North Zone B Division Basketball Championship, but not before Yishun staged a come-back in the final quarter that fell just short.
In the first quarter, both teams were neck and neck as they constantly exchanged the lead. Presbyterian High took a 12-10 lead with two minutes 15 seconds left on the clock and the quarter seemed headed for a close finish. Yishun, however, could not capitalise on their many open chances under the basket while Presbyterian High took theirs to pull ahead 16-11 by the end of the first 10 minutes.
Presbyterian High scored the first two points of the second quarter but Yishun came back strong as they went on a 6-0 run to come to within one point (17-18) of Presbyterian High. Presbyterian High were stunned into calling a timeout by this sudden surge from Yishun. And, if it was to break the Yishun momentum, it worked. Presbyterian High came back with a 5-0 run of their own to lead 26-19.
This forced Yishun into a timeout of their own and they came back with a 3-pointer from their point guard (#6) to close the gap to 22-26. Presbyterian High then stepped up the game with a full court press which proved to be very effective as they went on a 8-2 run to end the first half leading 36-25.
The third quarter was a much closer affair, with Presbyterian High outscoring Yishun 17-15 but it was a collision on court that was the talking point. The Yishun #13 went for a layup and collided with a Presbyterian High player who was trying to make a block. Both players initially laid motionless on the floor but eventually got up.
The Yishun supporters heaved a great sigh of relief as their #13, who finished the game with 17 points, is a key player for the team with his dominance both inside and outside the paint.
With Presbyterian High leading 53-40 heading into the final quarter, everybody was on the edge of their seats as Yishun gave a last push to make a come back.
Yishun started the fourth quarter with a 14-8 run to reduce the deficit to seven points (54-61). Yishun then called for a full court press which proved quite effective as they intercepted the Presbyterian High passes at the half way line.
With two minutes left on the clock, Yishun were trailing Presbyterian High by just eight points. However, tragedy struck for Yishun. Their #13 landed awkwardly on his ankle and he went down onto the floor in pain. The injury was too serious and he could not check back into the game again, forcing his team to finish the game without him.
Despite outscoring Presbyterian High 22-15 in the final quarter, Yishun could not narrow the gap and lost the semi-final.
The win improved Presbyterian High’s win-loss record to 10-0 for the season and they will now face North Vista Secondary in the final. North Vista beat Seng Kang Secondary 74-40 in the other semi-final.
Quarter by Quarter Scores
Presbyterian High vs Yishun
1st Q: 16-11
2nd Q: 20-14 (36-25)
3rd Q: 17-15 (53-40)
4th Q: 15-22 (68-62)
North Zone B Division Basketball Championship — fixtures and results
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