Story by Zachary Foo/Red Sports. Photos by Laura Lee/Red Sports.
Lim Boon Yee (NYGH #12) contributed 11 points to her team’s victory over Unity. (Photo 1 © Laura Lee/Red Sports)
Clementi Sports Hall, Monday, April 14, 2014 — Nanyang Girls’ High (NYGH) kept their semi-final hopes alive by edging out Unity Secondary (USS) 50–48 in the second round of the National B Division Girls Basketball Championship.
Both teams have faced each other twice this season. Unity claimed the first game 38–35, while Nanyang Girls’ clinched the West Zone final 62–53.
Lim Boon Yee (NYGH #12) led all scorers with 11 points, while Priscilla Wong (USS #5) paced her team with eight points.
Turnovers were the name of the game in the first quarter. Both teams did not take care of the ball properly. Unity took an early lead through some smart play. However, they encountered foul trouble, landing themselves in a penalty situation. This would be a recurring trend throughout the game, as Unity got into the penalty situation for all four quarters.
Unity were able to grab an eight-point lead in the second quarter through the strong play of their perimeter players. Good passing on offence allow them to score three three-pointers in the period. Unfortunately, Lim Ke An (USS #6) picked up her fourth foul, forcing her to be benched. Nanyang Girls’ struggled to create opportunities on offence. They made a couple of risky passes, which led to turnovers.
The third quarter saw Nanyang Girls’ slowly crawling back into the game. The perimeter trio of Charmian Cheah (NYGH #13), Sheryl Ng (NYGH #4) and Natasha Ng (NYGH #9) proved to be effective. They drove hard on each possession, drawing a lot of fouls from the Unity players. By this point in the game, Unity were forced to sit two key players due to foul trouble.
The final quarter saw a 13-point swing for Nanyang Girls’. Lim Boon Yee (NYGH #12) contributed by scoring six straight points. This gave Nanyang Girls’ an eight-point lead with about five minutes left. However, Unity were not out of the game yet, they fought back to tie the game at 48 apiece with a minute to go in the game. With time winding down, Tan Li Wen (NYGH #14) anticipated an errant Unity pass and promptly stole it. She broke down the court to score the foul-in, nailing what would be the winning basket with about twenty seconds left in the game. On the ensuing possession, Unity were unable to score off the inbounds play. Thus, Nanyang Girls’ were able to come away with the 50–48 win
Nanyang Girls’ final match against Jurong will decide their semi-final qualification. Unity are out of the tournament and this is the first time since 2012 that Unity will not feature in the national semi-final.
Nanyang Girls’ top scorer, Lim Boon Yee (#12), said, “I felt that we were a bit unfocused early on, which allowed Unity to pull away from us. Thankfully, we were able to catch up. When Unity came back from eight points down, it was a scary feeling but I had faith in my team. I hope Sheryl (#4, captain of NYGH) gets well soon. As for the final match against Jurong, we cannot underestimate them and we will do our best.”
Scoring by Quarter
Unity Secondary vs Nanyang Girls’ High School
1st Quarter: 12–10
2nd Quarter: 13–7 (25–17)
3rd Quarter: 7–10 (32–27)
4th Quarter: 16–23 (48–50)
Top Scorers
Unity
Priscilla Wong Ting Hui (#5) – 8 points
Nanyang Girls’
Lim Boon Yee (#12) – 11 points
Unity Roster
Tan Jun Xiu (#4), Priscilla Wong Ting Hui (#5), Lim Ke An (#6), Maisarah Bte Mohammad Sauki (#7), Eliya Sabrina Bte Suhaimi (#8), Nurul Ameerah Tunessa (#9), Cheryl Ong Ying Qi (#10), Melissa Mok Zi Yu (#11), Musrifah Fadzlia Bte Masiran (#12), Lim Xiang Xuan (#13), Ng Xin Yi (#14), Siti Nur Amirah Bte Arnuar (#15)
Nanyang Girls’ Roster
Sheryl Ng Xue Qi (#4), Pek Zhi Min (#5), Chloe Yan Yingyun (#6), Boon Jia Hwee (#7), Jacqueline Yang Chu Ruo (#8), Ng Ziqi Natasha (#9), Wong Swee Kit Rachel (#10), Dalini Vicktoria Rajandhran (#11), Lim Boon Yee (#12), Charmian Cheah (#13), Tan Li Wen (#14), Chan Yu Shin (#15)
B Division Girls Basketball Championship — Fixtures and Results
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