By Amir Yusof/Red Sports
Thng Junrong (#5) hits a jumper against Malaysia. Junrong finished with 15 points while his teammate Delvin Goh (in red, right) had a game-high 20 points. (Photo courtesy of Eric Lee/Hui Min/David Low)
Singapore Basketball Centre, Saturday, June 30, 2012 — Singapore beat neighbors Malaysia 75-56 in their final fixture of the 8th South-east Asia Basketball Association (SEABA) Under-18 Championship.
Philippines beat Indonesia 81-57 to win the Championship with a perfect 5-0 win-loss record. Indonesia finished second with a 4-1 record while Singapore were third with a 2-2 record. The three South-east Asian teams qualify for the 22nd FIBA Asia U18 Championship to be held in August, 2012, in Ulan Bator, Mongolia.
In this final game against Malaysia, Singapore needed a victory to secure qualification and to the delight of the partisan home crowd, the boys produced a comprehensive and emphatic performance to deny their Causeway rivals.
Centre Delvin Goh and Point Guard Thng Jun Rong were both decisive with 20 and 15 points respectively. Singapore’s dominance through zonal defence and quick counters meant they never looked like losing this tie.
Although the first two quarters were relatively tight with Singapore leading only by three going into the half, rugged determination and forceful offensive play saw Singapore’s Remus Low and Delvin score easy lay ups and jumper shots to establish a 40-30 lead. From then on, the Malaysians had no way back as they struggled on the free throw line as well as from open play.
As the clock ran out in the third quarter, Junrong shot a delightful three-pointer seconds before the buzzer to send the crowd into rapture. This allowed Singapore to slow down play in the fourth quarter to finish off the tie comfortably.
Frustrations boiled over in the closing minutes as Malaysia’s Mak Lok Seng was sent off for aggressive behaviour. However, the game was otherwise played in fine spirits as the home side huddled at the final whistle, with feelings of triumphant elation clear for all to see.
Head Coach Neo Nam Kheng was a happy man in the end, despite his team losing half the games in this tournament.
“I felt that the boys have exceeded expectations and I’m very proud of their performances. We have prepared hard and ultimately, applied what we have practiced in training to full effect,” said coach Neo.
When asked about his team’s chances at the upcoming Asian Championships in Mongolia come August, coach Neo said: “We have to scout for new players because many of the current crop of U18s players will be unavailable for selection due to their A and O Level examinations. This is unfortunate but it is something we must cope with.”
Nonetheless, Singapore will still count on our boys to play with pride and represent the nation with dignity despite the odds being staked heavily against us.
Score by Quarter
Singapore vs Malaysia
1st Q: 14-11
2nd Q: 10-16 (24-27)
3rd Q: 32-12 (56-39)
4th Q: 19-17
Final Score: 75-56
Singapore U18s Roster
Tan Jun Wei (#4) — 5 pts, Thng Junrong (#5) — 15 pts, Toh Qing Huang (#6) — 11 pts, Chee Khan Liang (#7) — 5 pts, Wong Keng Yang (#8) — 0 pts, Remus Low (#9) — 5 pts, John Ng (#10) — 4 pts, Tay Ding Loon (#11) — 4 pts, Chun Wang Xuan (#12) — 4 pts, Clement Chan (#13) — 0 pts, Delvin Goh (#14) — 20 pts, Wilson Ang (#15) — 2 pts
Malaysia U18s Roster
Loo Lian Wei — 8 pts, Bryan Sim — 4 pts, Javelosa — 3 pts, Liew Kit Hoow — 0 pts, Keng Eng Hong — 2 pts, Ting Jun — 6 pts, Tan Zhi Hao — 6 pts, Tan Hing KAng — 2 pts, Chiang Wei Er — 5 pts, Ng Cheng toong — 6 pts, Nelson Bong — 8 pts, Tong Jia Xuan — 8 pts, MAk Lok Seng — 4 pts
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