By REDintern Rachel Yip
Chai Zhi Xun (Westwood #6, right) on a fast break. Zhi Xun finished with a game-high 15 points. (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
Clementi Sports Hall, Tuesday, July 10, 2012 – Westwood Secondary made it to the second round of the West Zone C Division Boys’ Basketball Championship by beating Pioneer Secondary 38-16.
It was a do-or-die game for both Westwood and Pioneer, with both teams needing to win in order to qualify for the second round. Before the game, both teams’ sole Group A loss came at the hands of Unity Secondary.
Westwood started the game strongly. Chai Zhi Xun (#6), Ng Wei Hong (#11), and captain Brandon Law (#12) were a constant threat to the Pioneer defence with their fast breaks, piercing runs, and accuracy. Despite the absence of key player Koh Jun Wei (#7), Westwood had a comfortable 17-4 lead by half-time.
On the other hand, Pioneer were plagued with inaccuracies and struggled to find the basket, only managing five points in the first three quarters despite numerous chances.
Pioneer’s imminent defeat was too much to bear for some players and their emotions got the better of them. They could not play a focused game and committed many errors.
Pioneer finally regained their accuracy in the last quarter to sink 11 points but it was a little too late as they succumbed to a 16-38 loss.
Pioneer captain Kenji Goh (#12), who was noticeably upset with his team’s loss, said “We fought hard but still lost. For next year, we must train hard to make it to the second round.”
Westwood captain Brandon Law (#12) was happy with his team’s win. He said: “It was a tough match but we played well. We still must improve our performance though.”
When asked about his hopes for round 2, Brandon said: “We hope to make it to the semi-finals.”
Score by Quarter
Westwood vs Pioneer
1st Q: 9-3
2nd Q: 8-1 (17-4)
3rd Q: 5-1 (22-5)
4th Q: 16-11
Final score: 38-16
Top scorers
Westwood
Chai Zhi Xun (#6) – 15 points
Ng Wei Hong (#11) – 11 points
Brandon Law Jun Hong (#12) – 8 points
Pioneer
Kenji Goh (#12) – 10 points
Jonathan Lee (#13) – 4 points
Westwood Roster
Yann Yip (#4), Ho Jian Rong (#5), Chai Zhi Xun (#6), Koh Jun Wei (#7), Darren Wong (#8), Ryan Lau (#9), Ng Pei Hao (#10), Ng Wei Hong (#11), Brandon Law Jun Hong (#12), Goh Poh Seng (#13), Wee Ying Heng (#14), Patnala Revanth (#15)
Pioneer Roster
Andy Choo (#4), Ng Pin Jie (#5), Alwin Lim (#6), Will Chia (#7), Eric Hoe (#8), Ng Jia Ding (#9), Prem (#10), Ong Guanghui (#11), Kenji Goh (#12), Jonathan Lee (#13), Nam Zhen An (#14), Reece Low (#15)
West Zone C Division Basketball Championship — full fixtures and results
More photos next page
[…] 2-1 win-loss records. Emotions ran high on court and off the court as the teams battled it out, but Westwood overcame Pioneer with a convincing score of 38-16 after Pioneer were restricted to just one point each in the second and third […]