Story and photos by Low Zheng Yu/Red Sports
Oscar Ong (CC #28) makes use of the screen and drives all the way in. He had a team-high 10 points. (Photo 1 © Low Zheng Yu/Red Sports)
Clementi Sports Hall, Friday, March 24, 2017 — Christ Church Secondary (CC) played well on both the offensive and defensive end to cruise past Chung Cheng High School (Main) (CCH) 45-34 in the National B Division Basketball Championship.
With this win, Christ Church remain unbeaten with a win-loss record of 3-0. They are first in Group C and will play in Round 2 against Jurong West, Dunman High and Presbyterian High.
On the other hand, this loss marks the end of the season for Chung Cheng. They have a win-loss record of 1-2, losing against Unity Secondary and having their sole win against Gan Eng Seng School.
Both teams started the game cold. Shots were not falling for them. However both side played excellent defense, closing out on shooters fast and clamping on the driving lanes to prevent easy layups.
After about two minutes, Christ Church made the first basket with a baseline jumper from Lee De En (CC #30).
However, both sides continued to shoot poorly. Christ Church made use of their size to rack up points in the paint and quickly led 8-4.
Eldrin Tor (CCH #2) went for a go-ahead three as time expired to cut the lead of Christ Church to just one. Eldrin Tor (CCH #2) led all scorers with game-high 16 points.
In the second quarter, Christ Church got things going early. They managed to force several turnovers off Chung Cheng which were converted to fast-break points.
Christ Church were also playing excellent defense, preventing Chung Cheng from making any easy shots. This allowed Christ Church to pull away as they continued to score.
The first half ended with Christ Church up 21-16.
In the third, Eugene Junior (CC #23) caught fire. He started the quarter by making an open three. Feeling it, he made two more after that to farther widen the lead. Eugene Junior (CC #23) accounted for half of the team scoring in the third as Christ Church outscored Chung Cheng 18-8.
Despite that, Chung Cheng refused to give up. They put up a fight in the fourth. As they upped their defensive intensity, they managed to stop Christ Church from scoring at will. Calvin Go (CC #9) hustled and got many steals for Chung Cheng. He was also the first to get to the loose balls giving Chung Cheng many chance to chase back.
However, Chung Cheng continued their shooting woes and could not capitalize on the chances their efforts from their team defense got them.
While Chung Cheng outscored Christ Church 10-6 in the fourth, it was not enough as Christ Church took down Chung Cheng 45-32 and advanced to the quarter-finals.
Christ Church’s captain Oscar Ong (CC #28) said, “We communicated more as compared to the first two games. We were more focused and more determined to win as being first in this group is an advantage for us in the next round. However, we still need to improve on our passing and on fast-breaks. Since after all it is still about team play.”
“I also want to commend Chung Cheng for playing quite well. They showed fighting spirit until the last second and did not give up.”
When asked about his shooting streak, Christ Church’s Eugene Junior (CC #23) commented, “When the moment I sank my first shot, I already felt the flame in me. The point difference was less than ten and I just wanted the others to play so I just kept going and going. What I want to say is that it’s about the confidence.”
Captain of Chung Cheng, Li Ye (CCH #13), said, “Everyone played their best, even though we didn’t make it to second round, I can tell that everyone gave their all. Everyone hustled for every ball and gave 150% during training. Every game we went out there and had fun and played well. Despite not making it, it has been a great journey with my team.”
Scoring by Quarter
Christ Church vs Chung Cheng
1st Q: 8-7
2nd Q: 13-9 (21-16)
3rd Q: 18-8 (39-24)
4th Q: 6-10 (45-34)
Top Scorers
Christ Church
Oscar Ong (#28) – 10 pts
Pan Ming Hui (#22) – 9 pts
Eugene Junior (#23) – 9 pts
Chung Cheng
Eldrin Tor (#2) – 16 pts
Christ Church Roster
Wong Yi Dian (#20), Jason Soh (#21), Pan Ming Hui (#22), Eugene Junior (#23), Lin Kai Yao (#24), Oscar Ong (#28), Lee Looi Yen (#29), Lee De En (#30), Rico Liu (#31), Ernest Kwek (#32), Yeo Yuan Jun (#33), Jonathan Gue (#34)
Chung Cheng Roster
Sean Tan (#0), Eldrin Tor (#2), Chen Xin Yu (#3), Mervin Lee (#6), Antonio Soo (#7), Calvin Go (#9), Chai Yu Kang (#12), Li Ye (#13), Chin Jhin Tze (#21), Zhou Yong Ming (#23), Ryan Wang (#30), Chew Junhong (#34)
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