By Gan Yu Neng/Red Sports
Shiek Ridwan (#10) of North Vista shoots for two while Warren Wong (#12) of Catholic High defends. Shiek had a team-high 12 points. Warren finished with 4 while his teammate Toh Tze Cong (#15) had a game-high 21 points. (Photo © Les Tan/Red Sports)
Clementi Sports Hall, Thursday, August 2, 2012 — North Vista Secondary managed to beat Catholic High by a hair’s breadth to top their group in the first round of the National C Division Basketball Championship.
With Catholic High only one point ahead, Christian co Pepito (#4) of North Vista launched a mid-range shot in the final second that turned the match around for North Vista to win 46-45 and hand the South Zone champions their first defeat this entire season. Both teams will move on to the second round.
Although North Vista finished the first three quarters with an 11-point lead, Catholic High made a dramatic comeback in the final quarter, clawing their way back and eventually turning the game around. With only 50 seconds left on the clock, Catholic High had a small lead at 45-42 and were set for a comeback win.
In the last 20 seconds, however, Shiek Ridwan (#10) scored for North Vista after an intense tussle at the basket, reducing Catholic High’s lead to only one point. Catholic High subsequently lost possession when the ball went out of play after their throw-in, which was how Christian co Pepito (#4) of North Vista managed to make that last-ditch shot in the final second, getting it in and changing the outcome of the match in incredibly dramatic fashion.
The match was intense right from the tip-off, neither side underestimating the other. Catholic High had earlier earmarked North Vista as one of their main rivals for the championship. The first points were only scored three minutes in after a furious series of exchanges across the court.
Sim Zhen (#13) and Christian co Pepito (#4) from North Vista both played spectacularly. Sim Zhen was adept at maneuvering quickly around Catholic High’s defense and either personally scoring or passing it to a waiting teammate. Christian, the small sharpshooter, made six of his 10 points from three-pointers from far out.
North Vista’s top scorer, however, was Shiek Ridwan (#10), with 12 points for his team. Shiek, the tallest North Vista player, was extremely good at leaping for his teammate’s rebounds and catching them to give his team a second chance at scoring.
North Vista’s defense managed to keep Catholic High at bay for the first three quarters, allowing them to gradually amass a lead over the South Zone champions. The North Vista players were for the most part taller than their Catholic High opponents, which allowed them to retain their defensive rebounds. North Vista also kept up an aggressive guard that applied pressure on Catholic High and affected their shooting accuracy. This had a clear effect: Catholic High were outscored by six points in each of the first two quarters.
The most significant player of the match was Catholic High’s ace, the tall and very athletic Toh Tze Cong (#15). Tze Cong scored a game-high 21 points, and was almost solely responsible for Catholic High’s comeback. He ran across the court with a ferocity that was singularly unmatched by any other player, and his presence alone made the air crackle with a violent, angry tension.
Having watched his opponents pull ahead in the first half, Tze Cong bared his fangs right from the start of the third quarter. He leapt hard to block North Vista’s shots and passes, as well as defensive rebounds. As soon as he had forced a turnover or gained possession, he would advance the ball by either passing it forward to an open teammate, or personally dribbling it past North Vista’s defense.
Despite being injured and substituted out near the end of the third quarter, Tze Cong came back on court in the fourth to execute several absolutely beastly plays. Early in the fourth quarter, Tze Cong grabbed a defensive rebound and then furiously launched the ball all the way to the other side of the court, where his teammate Warren Wong (#12) was able to catch it and score. More often than not, however, once Tze Cong caught a defensive rebound, he would personally drive it up to North Vista’s basket to put it in.
With Catholic High now guarding much more aggressively, the match began to turn physical. Players from both teams fell on the court more than once due to overzealous play. At one point, Christian (#4) of North Vista was literally pushed off the court after being double-teamed while trying to dribble the ball.
In the end, however, it appeared that Catholic High just left it too late. North Vista’s triumph marks the first time Catholic High were defeated since the start of the zonal championships.
North Vista’s captain, Sim Zhen (#13), was satisfied with the performance of his team.
“We played very well; defense went well. We can improve on teamwork. Not so good; still can be better,” Sim Zhen commented.
On Catholic High, he simply said: “They were very tough. We had a good fight.”
Amidst the playful “MVP! MVP!” chants from his teammates, Christian co Pepito (#4) insisted that his winning throw was merely a lucky shot. The team, however, were clearly jubilant about the victory. Sim Xuan (#7), in high spirits, went on to preemptively announce that we would be seeing North Vista in the National C Division final.
With this result, North Vista will enter the second round of the Nationals at the top of their group. Catholic High will also move on to the next round, but will probably face stronger opponents in their next group.
Score by Quarter
Catholic High vs North Vista
1st Q: 6-12
2nd Q: 7-13 (13-25)
3rd Q: 12-11 (25-36)
4th Q: 20-10
Final Score: 45-46
Top Scorers
Catholic High
Toh Tze Cong (#15) — 21 points
Seow Li Da (#7) — 8 points
Nicholas Woon (#13) — 6 points
Hu Zhi Cang (#8) — 5 points
Warren Wong (#12) — 4 points
Teo Yew Teng (#4) — 1 point
North Vista
Shiek Ridwan (#10) — 12 points
Christian co Pepito (#4) — 10 points
Sim Zhen (#13) — 8 points
Jolo Emmanuel Carino Cristobal (#9) — 5 points
Daniel Koh (#15) — 3 points
Nigel Go (#12) — 3 points
Fabian Low (#8) — 3 points
Tan Yi Xuan (#11) — 2 points
Catholic High Roster
Teo Yew Teng (#4), Zhen Yu Hui (#5), Woo Jian Zhe (#6), Seow Li Da (#7), Hu Zhi Cang (#8), Darryl Soh (#9), Zong Ming Shin (#10), Ryan Lee (#11), Warren Wong (#12), Nicholas Woon (#13), Lloyd Ng (#14), Toh Tze Cong (#15)
North Vista Roster
Christian co Pepito (#4), Jeff Tan (#5), Danial Tai (#6), Sim Xuan (#7), Fabian Low (#8), Jolo Emmanuel Carino Cristobal (#9), Shiek Ridwan (#10), Tan Yi Xuan (#11), Nigel Go (#12), Sim Zhen (#13), Justine Carlo Duro Chansuyco (#14), Daniel Koh (#15)
National C Division Basketball Championship — full fixtures and results
More photos in gallery next page
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