By REDintern Gan Yu Neng
Both team trying to get their hands on the rebound. (Photo 1 © Chong Ng/Red Sports)
Singapore Basketball Centre, Monday, July 9, 2012 — After trailing Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary for two quarters, Nan Chiau High took the lead and proceeded to win 38-24 in the first round of the North Zone C Division Girls’ basketball championship.
Both sides made it difficult for their opponents to score. Nan Chiau’s very disciplined zone defence forced Ahmad Ibrahim to skirt around the three-point line, searching for opportunities to score.
Whenever Ahmad Ibrahim’s Tan Ke Ning (#11), Koh Hui Ling (#7) or Vivian Lim (#9) tried to pass the defense, they would only have one shot at the basket, with Nan Chiau’s Chloe Tan (#15) catching the rebound over the heads of her shorter opponents. On their end, Ahmad Ibrahim put up a very active defense, focusing on intercepting passes and catching defensive rebounds.
The turning point came in the third quarter.
Ahmad Ibrahim kept the ball in Nan Chiau’s half of the court for almost the entirety of the first two minutes, but were simply unable to score. Nan Chiau’s Cheryl Chiang (#9) then caught a rebound, took it all the way to the other end and made two for her team.
Nan Chiau proceeded to turn the match around by scoring another four points in quick succession, and then pulled away from Ahmad Ibrahim with a barrage of attacks led by Cherlyn Teo (#12) and Tan Xiuyi (#10).
At the other end of the court, Ahmad Ibrahim continued to struggle with their shooting. The only points Ahmad Ibrahim took from the third quarter was from a three-pointer made by Ke Ning.
Although it was Nan Chiau who won the game, the single most outstanding player was arguably Tan Ke Ning (#11), the captain of the Ahmad Ibrahim team, who was able to respond to Nan Chiau’s defense by combining fast breaks and the occasional lay-up with jump shots from mid-range and from outside the three-point line. Ke Ning finished with a game-high 16 points, nine of which came from 3-pointers.
Vivian (#9) also made many shots, but was unable to convert them due to Nan Chiau’s defensive pressure.
Nan Chiau’s captain Cherlyn Teo (#12) was the highest scorer of her team with 14 points. At every turnover, as soon as either of them got the ball, Cherlyn and Xiuyi (#10) spearheaded a ferocious assault, usually driving past Ahmad Ibrahim’s defense for the lay-up. With the support of Chloe (#15), who towered over the Ahmad Ibrahim defense, they were able to catch offensive rebounds and press the attack.
Charles Cheak, the coach for Ahmad Ibrahim, took their defeat philosophically.
“I think we did quite well today, considering that of our starting five, three are Secondary One. Looking at Nan Chiau’s girls, we’ve already lost in terms of size, so to keep to this scoreline is quite good. Also, it’s not like we are eliminated; we will still move to the second round. Really, we’re building this squad up for next year,” he said.
This victory in their final first round game puts Nan Chiau at the top of their group with a perfect 3-0 win-loss record. Ahmad Ibrahim finished second in the group with a 2-1 record and both teams progress to the second round.
Nan Chiau’s first opponent in the second round will be North Vista Secondary. The teams will face off on Wednesday, July 11th, at 3.45pm.
Ahmad Ibrahim will face Deyi Secondary, which topped its own group in the first round. The match will also take place on Wednesday, July 11th, 3.45pm.
Both games are at the Singapore Basketball Centre.
North Zone C Division Basketball Championship — full fixtures and results
Score by Quarter
Nan Chiau vs Ahmad Ibrahim
1st Q: 6-12
2nd Q: 6-5 (12-17)
3rd Q: 14-3 (26-20)
4th Q: 12-4
Final Score: 38-24
Top Scorers
Nan Chiau
Cherlyn Teo (#12) – 14 points
Chloe Tan (#15) – 8 points
Tan Xiuyi (#10) – 8 points
Wirina Siah (#11) – 4 points
Cheryl Chang (#9) – 2 points
May Lim (#14) – 2 points
Ahmad Ibrahim
Tan Ke Ning (#11) – 16 points
Vivian Lim (#9) – 4 points
Koh Hui Ling (#7) – 2 points
Patty Tan (#8) – 2 points
Nan Chiau Roster
Siti Nurhashimah (#4), Ng Xueying (#5), Lim Hui Min (#6), Aw Xin Yi (#7), Ooi Hui Ying (#8), Cheryl Chang (#9), Tan Xiuyi (#10), Wivina Siah (#11), Cherlyn Teo (#12), Lim Wen Sin (#13), May Lim (#14), Chloe Tan (#15)
Ahmad Ibrahim Roster
Chen Qiu Rong (#4), Megan Sio (#5), Lim Jia Xi (#6), Koh Hui Ling (#7), Patty Tan (#8), Vivian Lim (#9), Christy Oh (#10), Tan Ke Ning (#11), Hairani (#12), Lim Pei Xi (#13), Teh Min Chi (#14), Yeo Jia Jun (#15)
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