Story by Zachary Foo/Red Sports. Photos by REDintern Clara Yuan
Lim Wai Sian (NTU #2) blocking Ng Hanbin (SIM #22). Hanbin scored a total of 25 points. (Photo 1 © REDintern Clara Yuan)
NTU Sports and Recreation Centre, Tuesday, January 21, 2014 — Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) put up a commanding performance to beat Nanyang Technological University (NTU) 77–57 in the Institute-Varsity-Polytechnic (IVP) Basketball Championship. Wong Wei Long (NTU #1) and Ng Hanbin (SIM #22) were joint top-scorers with 25 points apiece. This was the biggest margin of victory for SIM in the last three matches between both teams.
The first half was a see-saw battle between both teams. Each time NTU seemed to gain the upper hand, SIM would find a way to crawl back into the game and vice versa. Lim Wai Sian (NTU #2) was very vocal, marshalling NTU well on defence. This allowed them to keep pace with SIM throughout the first quarter.
Not to be outdone, Hanbin (SIM #22) put on a defensive masterclass down in the low post for his team. Each NTU playing getting into the paint would be met by his imposing figure, leading to either an altered shot or a block. Hanbin would eventually finish the game with at least five blocks to his credit.
The second quarter saw NTU’s offence stagnate, as their jumpers started missing. SIM used good ball movement to create open looks for their players. When NTU tried to contain Hanbin (SIM #22) by double-teaming him in the low block, he displayed his excellent basketball IQ by dumping the ball to the cutting teammate for an easy lay-up. NTU managed to hang in there with a couple of late scores, pulling them to within one point as the quarter ended.
SIM blew the game wide open in the third quarter. Sparked by the energetic play of Chase Tan (SIM #83), SIM’s offence hummed like a well-oiled engine. Many of their attempts throughout the quarter were from open looks, a result of extremely good ball movement. Hanbin asserted himself on both ends in this quarter, swatting shots on defence, while facilitating the offence for SIM on the other end. NTU were bamboozled at this point. They fought hard on defence, but each time, SIM inexplicably found a way to score. By the end of the quarter, SIM outscored NTU by a whopping 19 points.
In the final quarter, it was the Hanbin (SIM #22) show. He matched his defensive effort with an offensive explosion. First, he dropped a three-pointer with players all over him, then made a tough foul-in and topped it off with another three, which sealed the nail in NTU’s coffin. Eventually, SIM came out 77–57 winners.
They now face Republic Polytechnic (RP) on Monday, January 27 at the NTU Sports and Recreation Centre at 8:30pm. NTU will play Temasek Polytechnic (TP) for third place in the match before the final at 7pm.
SIM captain Lim Yong Teck (#13) said, “The team did really well today and we managed to convert our shots today. Chase (SIM #83) did a really good job drawing the defence to him on isolation plays and kicked out the ball to the open man on several occasions. We would still need to improve in our defensive communication in the final game, given that RP is an excellent team from long range.”
NTU captain Andrew Zee (#14) said, “It was a bad game overall for us. We did not capitalise on open shots and even if we did, they were not falling. Only Wei Long (NTU #1) managed to get good looks, so he was our only constant source of offence. Defensively, we were really good, but SIM managed to find a way past them.”
Scoring by Quarter
NTU vs SIM
1st Quarter: 18–19
2nd Quarter: 14–14 (32–33)
3rd Quarter: 7–27 (40–60)
4th Quarter: 17–17 (57–77)
Top Scorers
NTU
Wong Wei Long (#1) – 25 points
SIM
Ng Hanbin (#22) – 25 points (3 x 3-pointers)
NTU Roster
Wong Wei Long (#1), Lim Wai Sian (#2), Lim Yan Ming (#6), Chen Jiahong (#7), Nai Chiau Kwang (#8), Pek Jia Rong (#9), Kelvin Yeo Chee Wen (#10), Donovan Tan Cheng Ye (#11), Chua Kian Kok (#12), Zee Kin Meng Andrew (#14), Chan Li Zhong (#15), Wong Yong Kang (#16), Koh Chee Siang (#17), Kua Hiong Yong (#19), Thomson Liu Junxin (#20)
SIM Roster
Edwin Low Kwok Heng (#1), Neo Li Zhe Richard (#2), Wong Kok Yong Dallas (#5), Phua Hong Yuan (#11), Lim Yong Teck (#13), Tiong Zi Cheng (#14), Wong Kar Chuin Jason (#17), Yeo Zhi Kuang (#24), Ng Hanbin (#22), Jansen Koay Zhen Yen (#23), Koh Wei Jie (#33), Zhou Zhen Jie (#34), Woo Tian Wei (#45), Chase Tan (#83), Ken Owyong Zhi Xiang (#91)
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