By Gan Yu Neng/Red Sports
Krison Sum (#12) of Fairfield shoots for two while Lin Sheng Xiang of Presbyterian High defends. Krison had 3 points in the game while Sheng Xiang finished with 4. (Photo © Les Tan/Red Sports)
Clementi Sports Hall, Tuesday, July 31, 2012 — Presbyterian High School took a clear 47-30 victory over Fairfield Methodist School in their first Round 1 match of the National C Division Basketball Championship.
Presbyterian High are the North Zone champions and have yet to lose a single match this season. Fairfield Methodist finished fourth in the South Zone.
Fairfield took an early lead in spectacular fashion, with Lee Lai Quan (#9) scoring a three-pointer not 15 seconds into the game, followed by another two from Shuan Tham (#6). With two free throws by Presbyterian High’s Lee Zhi Yu (#10) midway through the first quarter however, the boys in white seized the lead and never gave it back for the remainder of the game.
Although Fairfield Methodist kept a very disciplined defensive formation at their own perimeter, they were no match for the superior height and athleticism of Presbyterian High’s players, who were more able to make their drives and catch their own offensive rebounds.
Tng Zhi Cai (#7) and Lim Zhi Cong (#8) were both perfectly capable of driving through Fairfield’s guard to score. With his agility, Zhi Cai (#7) could weave spectacularly through Fairfield’s defense; he was also able to accurately make shots from mid-range. He finished with a team-high nine points.
Where Presbyterian High had trouble finding a clear shot from beneath the basket, they had other options available, with their players quite capable of scoring from mid-range or further.
At one point, after Presbyterian High had made multiple passes within Fairfield’s perimeter without being able to attempt a shot, they simply passed it outside to Zhi Cai (#7), who put in a three-pointer just before the shot clock expired.
Fairfield Methodist, however, had more trouble against Presbyterian High’s defense. Just advancing the ball was difficult, with Presbyterian High intercepting passes and making steals. Presbyterian High were also strong at collecting defensive rebounds, and at physically blocking Fairfield from entering their perimeter.
This restricted Fairfield Methodist to mid-range attempts from just within the perimeter, which they did with less accuracy. Krison Sum (#12) continually attempted three-pointers throughout the match, but by the end of the game had made just one in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Shuan Tham (#6) took the ball and dove into Presbyterian High’s defense. He successfully made a lay-up for two points — which would turn out to be the only points Fairfield took from the second quarter. Shuan played a major role in Fairfield’s defense, often dashing forward to snatch his opponents’ passes from midair.
In the fourth quarter, thanks to more accurate shooting by Lai Quan (#9) and Benedict (#13), as well as the redoubled efforts of the entire team to steal, intercept and retain possession of the ball, Fairfield managed to outscore Presbyterian High 14-10. By then, however, the score gap was far too wide to save the game.
In the last 11 seconds, Lai Quan (#9) missed both his free throws for Fairfield to end the game 17 points behind.
Thanks largely to his efforts in the fourth quarter, Fairfield Methodist’s Lai Quan (#9) finished with a game-high score of 11 points.
P.S. Fairfield Methodist lost 42-68 to Jurong Secondary in their second game on Wednesday, August 1st, and they are out of the running for the second round.
Presbyterian High beat Chung Cheng High (Main) 58-46 on the same day to confirm their spot in the second round.
Score by Quarter
Presbyterian High vs Fairfield Methodist
1st Q: 12-10
2nd Q: 9-2 (21-12)
3rd Q: 16-4 (37-16)
4th Q: 10-14
Final Score: 47-30
Top Scorers
Presbyterian High
Tng Zhi Cai (#7) — 9 points
Lim Zhi Cong (#8) — 6 points
Tan Ejin (#14) — 6 points
Amos Lim (#6) — 6 points
Lin Sheng Xiang (#9) — 4 points
Lee Zhi Yu (#10) — 4 points
Liau Li Jiang (#4) — 4 points
Dylan Lee (#13) — 4 points
Joshua Ngo (#15) — 4 points
Fairfield Methodist
Lee Lai Quan (#9) — 11 points
Benedict Ng (#13) — 6 points
Shuan Tham (#6) — 4 points
Gavin Tay (#11) — 4 points
Krison Sum (#12) — 3 points
Andre Wong (#8) — 2 points
Presbyterian High Roster
Liau Li Jiang (#4), Eugene Han (#5), Amos Lim (#6), Tng Zhi Cai (#7), Lim Zhi Cong (#8), Lin Sheng Xiang (#9), Lee Zhi Yu (#10), Cane Kristian (#11), Joel Kwok (#12), Dylan Lee (#13), Tan Ejin (#14), Joshua Ngo (#15)
Fairfield Methodist Roster
Ryan Chew (#4), Joshua Yap (#5), Shuan Tham (#6), Ryan Lee (#7), Andre Wong (#8), Lee Lai Quan (#9), Bryan Ng (#10), Gavin Tay (#11), Krison Sum (#12), Benedict Ng (#13), Jerome Tan (#14), Hedley Ying (#15)
National C Division Basketball Championship — full fixtures and results
More photos in gallery next page
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