By Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports
Chua Kai Xuan (#11) of Catholic High drives against Ng Zhi Wen (#12) of Unity Secondary. The Catholic High forward recorded a double-double of 13 points and 16 rebounds on his way to clinching Most Valuable Player honours. (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)
Jurong East Sports Hall, Thursday, August 27, 2015 — Seven three-pointers. 21 points. All in the first half. Catholic High needed some range from its players and they duly delivered, beating Unity Secondary 66–47 to clinch their first National C Division Basketball Championship title since 2012.
“It’s a redemption,” said Catholic High captain Joshua Lim (#7).
In last year’s edition, the reigning North Zone champions were just three points shy of winning the title, which went to North Vista Secondary.
“We played and worked hard as a team, and we really wanted to redeem ourselves from the loss last year,” added the 14-year-old.
“We had the right mindset throughout the season, and we fought back whenever our opponents caught up.”
Tallying a double-double of 13 points and 16 boards, Chua Kai Xuan (#11) was awarded Most Valuable Player, but it was Lim Jing Jie (#4) who stood out from his peers.
The Secondary 1 guard provided Catholic High with an unexpected spark, coming off the bench to torch Unity with 20 points, including nine points from range. He also scored his team’s final 11 points.
Throughout the game, Catholic High displayed better offence and had better opportunities, but they had absolutely no answer for Unity’s defensive stalwart Brian Julian Colond (#8).
The towering Colond (#8) was a beast in the paint, virtually erasing all Catholic High drive attempts to tally eight blocks just six minutes into the game.
The Unity centre continued his defensive threat throughout the game, and finished with five points, 17 rebounds and an impressive 20 total blocks.
Fortunately, against Colond (#8), Catholic High opted for shooting away from the paint and they got lucky. They needed their ranged shots to fall, and they did just so, scoring their way to a 24-point lead at the end of the half.
Despite having a scoring drought through most of the second half, Catholic High had little problem in maintaining their lead, as they shut down Ethan Noronha (#7), whom Unity depended heavily on for offensive solutions.
Despite the lockdown, Noronha (#7) still managed his way to a team-high 20 points, but it was simply not enough to propel Unity to victory.
Score by quarter
Unity vs Catholic High
1st quarter: 14–16
2nd quarter: 6–28 (20–44)
3rd quarter: 13–4 (33–48)
4th quarter: 11–19 (44–67)
Top scorers
Unity
Ethan Kaene Noronha (#7) – 20 points
Catholic High
Lim Jing Jie (#4) – 20 points (3 x 3-pointers)
Chua Kai Xuan (#11) – 13 points
Unity Roster
Muhammad Syakir B Supa’at (#4), Jonathan Ng Zi Bin (#5), Xzandrei Jeigh Ajero (#6), Ethan Kaene Noronha (#7), Brian Julian Colond (#8), Prem Haran S/O B H Rajan (#9), Soh Zi Xuan (#10), Mendoza Lee Marco Aeoui Singson (#11), Ng Zhi Wen (#12), Ryan Hoa Wai Ming (#13), Patrick Gabriel M. Llanes (#14), Colin Cha Shi Ang (#15)
Catholic High Roster
Lim Jing Jie (#4), Lai Yee Teng (#5), Tan Chern Yi (#6), Joshua Lim Yu Hang (#7), Gideon Lam Yan Chiam (#8), Justin Lee Mun Loong (#9), Evan Teh Shin Yee (#10), Chua Kai Xuan (#11), Goh Yi Heng (#12), Ho Jun En, Abel (#13), Twu Pin An (#14), Dylan Tan Jit Oon (#15)
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