By Zachary Foo/Red Sports

Barry Leong (PHS #10) scores on the fast break (Photo 1 © Zachary Foo/Red Sports)

Clementi Sports Hall, Monday, August 3, 2014 — Presbyterian High School (PHS) opened their National C Division Boys Basketball Championship campaign with a 49–30 win over Dunman High School (DHS). Fabian (DHS #7) led all scorers with 16 points, while Ted Lee (PHS #9) scored 12 points to lead his team to the win.

The win puts Presbyterian High at the top of Group B with a 1–0 win–loss record. Catholic High joined them there after beating Unity Secondary in the other match 40–22.

Barry Leong (PHS #10) had a hot start for his team, scoring six points in the first quarter. His scoring gave his team a boost after they fell behind 2–4 early on, fueling an 8–0 run towards the end of the quarter. Dunman High did well to defend for the first five minutes, but caved in after that.

The second period saw Presbyterian High slowly extending their lead. Dillon Yap (PHS #5) did a good job of leading his team as a point guard, as he showed great decision-making when passing the ball or driving into the paint. Dunman High on the other hand, struggled in making their shots in the paint. This allowed Presbyterian High to extend the lead to double digits at the half.

Dunman High’s fortune changed in the third quarter, as they seemed to be more active on defence. They were able to figure out Presbyterian’s main plan of attack and were able to stop their layups in the paint. After Ted Lee (PHS #9) opened the scoring with a three-pointer, Presbyterian High went through a dry spell on offence. Dunman High went on a 6–0 run in the period, fueled by Fabian’s (DHS #7) six points in the quarter.

Presbyterian High switched tactics in the final quarter, attacking from 3-point land. Javier Choo (PHS #4) made the first basket from the left corner. Louis Tay (PHS #6) then sank a basket from the same spot on the very next possession, giving Presbyterian High a 6–0 run. Dunman High were unable to stop Presbyterian High throughout the period, as they seemed to play a more conservative game. Presbyterian High’s aggressiveness on the ball allowed them to extend the lead in the quarter, eventually taking the 49–30 win.

Presbyterian High captain, Dillon Yap (#5), said, “It feels great because we did not expect to win. We trained very hard before this match and worked hard our defence. Our previous game was really bad and it showed in this game that our footwork improved, along with the fact that we showed more confidence as a team. The next few games will be tougher as the teams are strong and we will work even harder to beat them.”

Scoring by Quarter
Dunman High vs Presbyterian High
1st Quarter: 4–10
2nd Quarter: 8–13 (12–23)
3rd Quarter: 8–7 (20–30)
4th Quarter: 10–19 (30–49)

Top Scorers
Dunman High
Fabian (#7) – 16 points
Tan Zheng (#13) – 8 points

Presbyterian High
Ted Lee (#9) – 12 points
Barry Leong (#10) – 10 points
Darren Eng (#15) – 10 points

Dunman High Roster
Kinzcer (#4), Yan Zhou (#5), Waynn (#6), Fabian (#7), Avner (#8), Eldrick (#9), Colin (#10), Greg (#11), Ee Hao (#12), Tan Zheng (#13), Hao Yeung (#14), Jonathan (#15)

Presbyterian High Roster
Javier Choo (#4), Dillon Yap (#5), Louis Tay (#6), Ibrahim (#7), You Jun (#8), Ted Lee (#9), Barry Leong (#10), Jerald Pang (#11), Wong Carl Win (#12), Jerel Tan (#13), Christopher Robinson (#14), Darren Eng (#15)

More photos next page