Story by REDintern Nicole Lum. Photos by Jerald Ang/Red Sports
Players from both schools go for the rebound. (Photo 1 © Jerald Ang/Red Sports)
Singapore Sports School, Thursday, March 12, 2015 — Singapore Sports School (SSP) caught up with CHIJ St. Joseph’s Convent (SJC) in the last quarter to win the final 33–31 in the North Zone B Division Netball Championship.
In the first quarter, SJC not only fought aggressively for the ball, but also put up a tight defence. Their stronger play prohibited SSP from getting to the net for a successful shot.
SSP largely relied on Alexandra Stewart, their Goal Shooter. Stewart made most of her shots but SSP still faced a four-point deficit (7–11) at the end of the quarter.
The next quarter saw SJC widening their lead. The team displayed smart, tactical moves including triangle passes between their Goal Attack, Goal Shooter, and Centre. On the other hand, SSP found trouble in receiving the ball as their slow movements could not match up with their fast, powerful passes. Thus, the quarter ended with SJC leading 19–13.
SSP remained calm and stepped up on their defence and teamwork in the third quarter. They went on a 6–1 scoring run in the first half of the quarter and closed the gap to only one point. However, SJC hung on to the lead as they pulled away whenever SSP came close to equalising.
SJC led 25–24 going into the final quarter. Both teams continued to trade points, playing with a high rate of turnovers. The equaliser came three minutes into the quarter, when SSP’s teamwork and accurate Goal Shooter carried out a successful conversion.
SJC began to panic, allowing SSP to score two more points and steal the lead. Nonetheless, the lead did not remain with SSP. With only two minutes to go, SJC regained the lead at 31–30. It was still not clear who would emerge as champions, with SJC playing good, tactical moves, and SSP demonstrating impressive intercepting skills.
The tie-breaker came when there was only one minute left in the game. SSP’s Goal Attack lobbed the ball straight into the net to give her team a 32–31 lead. Both teams continued to fight for the ball, but SSP’s Goal Shooter ended the game with a last goal five seconds before the final whistle blew to for a nail-biting, 33–31 win.
SSP’s team captain, Tan Zay Hua, said, “SJC gave us a good fight today. We managed to get back our focus later in the game and went all out. Our shooters and defenders played really well to make the turnovers count.”
“We are looking to make the finals and be champions for the upcoming National Schools B Division Championship. We must continue to focus on the process and less on the results in order to do that,” she added.
For SJC, team captain Tan She Lay also felt that her team put up a good, challenging fight. “We did not give up. We were also composed and maintained a good lead in the first half. However, we still have a lot to improve on for the National Schools Championships,” she said.
Score by Quarter
SJC vs SSP
1st quarter: 11–7
2nd quarter: 8–6 (19–13)
3rd quarter: 6–11 (25–24)
4th quarter: 8–9 (31–33)
SJC Roster
Alexis Nichole Chew WenXin, Alicia Leck Xin Hui, Britney Ong Jia Qi, Denise Toh Ru Xuan, Lara Caitlin Chelliah, Janelle Lim Xin Yi, Low Yi Jing, Rachel Victoria Lim Xue Qi, Michelle Seah Min Hui, Sheryl Goh Zia Lin, Tan She Lay, Bernadette Yeo Hui Wen
SSP Roster
Alexandra Leah Stewart, Ang Jia Yu, Cheryl Lee Wen Qing, Eiffa Farhanna Bte Mohamad S, Kaylee Lim Yu, Laura Low Shu Yi, Nur Khalisah Bte Rahiman, Shafina Mahesh, Zoey Sin, Tan Yi Jie, Tan Zay Hua, Wah Tzy Hyi
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