By Amir Yusof/Red Sports
Jan Misael (Indonesia #4) puts up a shot with Chun Wang Xuan (Singapore #12) trying to block him. (Photo 1 © Joseph Lee/Red Sports)
Singapore Basketball Centre, Wednesday, June 27, 2012 — The Singapore U18s suffered heartbreak as they were defeated 54-43 by the Indonesia U18s in a tightly contested game in the South-east Asia Basketball Association (SEABA) Under-18 Championship.
The defeat virtually ends Singapore’s chance of lifting this year’s championship, with the hosts yet to face regional powerhouses Philippines. Philippines beat Laos 124-28 in an earlier game played on the same day.
Juan Kokodiputro of Indonesia had a game-high 17 points while centre Delvin Goh had a team-high 16 for Singapore.
“Although I feel that we have done well tonight, we struggled to match the pressure defence tactics that the Indonesians employed. They pressed us hard and we simply could not cope, “said Delvin, who played virtually the entire game before succumbing to cramps midway in the final quarter.
“It is now very difficult for us to win this tournament but we will definitely try our best in all the remaining fixtures,” added Delvin, who impressed throughout but was outplayed. Delvin was also part of the Singapore Slingers roster in the third season of the ASEAN Basketball League.
The Singapore U18s did start the game brightly though, racing to a 5-0 lead before the Indonesian head coach Nathaniel Canson declared that he had enough and called for the first timeout of the game.
The move paid off handsomely as the Indonesians sprang into action, with their 202cm tall centre, Vincent Kokasih, proving to be more than a match for Delvin. As a result of their prolific free throw conversion rate, combined with Singapore’s abysmal performance from the line, the Indonesians managed to level the game at 11-11 going into the break.
At the start of the second quarter, Singapore’s Thng Jun Rong showed some sublime vision, throwing defence splitting passes time and time again to his teammates. As a result, Tan Jun Wei and Remus Low produced easy lay ups to give the home side a 26-20 lead going into the half-time interval.
The Indonesians, however, displayed their mettle in the third quarter. Jan Panagen and Juan Kokodiputra took control of the flow of the game as they led the visitors on a 10-point scoring streak, to go from trailing 20-28 to leading by two at 30-28.
The Indonesians employed in-the-face, full-court pressure defensive tactics which clearly left the hosts fazed as they failed to cope with the pace and guile of the opponents.
Holding a narrow five-point lead heading into the last quarter, the Indonesians played zonal defence and slowed the pace down. Panagen was frustrating the hosts, holding the ball well as he waited for the shot clock to count down. Such antics did not bode well for the home side who grew increasing tired as they were constantly chasing their markers off the ball.
When Delvin limped off, the Singapore team lost direction in their offensive play as they squandered numerous chances. Remus, who found himself in good shooting positions, failed to convert any of his opportunities, culminating in a disappointing evening for the forward who was prolific in the opening game against Laos.
The defeat leaves Singapore needing to win against Philippines and Malaysia to reignite any lingering hopes of clinching the championship.
Singapore U18s Lineup
Tan Jun Wei (#4) — 4 pts, Thng Junrong (#5) — 11 pts, Toh Qing Huang (#6) — 6 pts, Chee Khan Liang (#7) — 0 pts, Wong Keng Yang (#8) — 0 pts, Remus Low (#9) — 2 pts, John Ng (#10) — 0 pts, Tay Ding Loon (#11) — 0 pts, Chun Wang Xuan (#12) — 4 pts, Chang Ming Rong (#13) — 0 pts, Delvin Goh (#14) — 16 pts, Wilson Ang (#15) — 0 pts
Indonesia U18s Lineup
Panagan — 12 pts, Baskoro — 0 pts, Kokodiputro — 17 pts, Abraham — 5 pts, Halim — 0 pts, Oei — 5 pts, Seputra — 4 pts, Tuasela — 0 pts, Kosasih — 2 pts, Pratama — 0 pts, Sitorus — 4 pts, Andriano — 5 pts
Leave A Comment