Story by REDintern Samantha Yom. Photos by Chan Hua Zheng/Red Sports.

Agnes Lee (NJC #5) aims a corner three. She poured in a game-high 26 points including four treys. (Photo 1 © Chan Hua Zheng/Red Sports)

OCBC Arena, Wednesday, March 21, 2018 — It is easy to make the point that the girls are never quite as good as the boys in basketball. After all, whether it is their pace or shooting, they cannot seem to match up to the boys.

But the National B Division Girls’ Basketball Championship Preliminary Round match between Ngee Ann Secondary School (NAS) and National Junior College (NJC), which had NJC defeat Ngee Ann 54–45, suggested otherwise.

It was a game that saw both sides play with a certain aggressiveness that reminded spectators that girls have never lacked that same fighting spirit in this male-dominated sport. They too, fight for every loose ball and rebound.

“It’s often stereotyped that boys are better in basketball. To a certain extent, it is true, but girls can do the same and so boys shouldn’t look down on us,” said Ngee Ann’s captain Gwendaline (NAS #8).

They really should not, since the girls have a pretty impressive shooting accuracy to boast as well. Take NJC’s Anges Lee Ying Faye (NJC #5) for example, who is the game’s top scorer with a remarkable 26 points, and have four treys to her name.

Unfortunately, the game did not start optimistically for NJC, as Ngee Ann took the lead in the first quarter.

Ngee Ann’s sturdy defense had proven to be a challenge for NJC as the latter came close to committing shot-clock violations on a number of occasions. They were able to prevent NJC from making the basket, building a considerable lead of 7 points. However, in the final moments of the quarter, NJC’s Engie Low (NJC #27) sunk a three-pointer to make it 11–7.

Knowing that they were up against the South Zone champions, Ngee Ann were certain that the remainder of the game was going to be a tough one.

“We tried not to slack off because we knew that they are a strong team. We made sure to give it our best,” added captain Gwendaline (NAS #8).

Going into the second quarter, it seemed as though NJC recognised Ngee Ann’s strong defence and opted to swing the ball around the perimeter before finding an opportune moment to sink the shot. This paid off as they were able to quickly equalise the game and start creating a lead over Ngee Ann.

At half-time, the scoreline was 17–34 and NJC was comfortably in the lead.

In the initial stages of the third quarter, Ngee Ann struggled with their shooting accuracy, while NJC were helped by Anges’ (NJC #5) sharp shooting from the perimeter. The former eventually found their scoring rhythm and the quarter closed with Ngee Ann having added 10 points to their score, while NJC accumulated another eight.

The last quarter saw both schools neck-and-neck – a field goal made by one team was quickly replicated by the other. That being said, NJC’s double-digit cushion over Ngee Ann going into the quarter was able to ensure that their lead was not threatened and they went on to claim the victory with a scoreline of 54–45.

Despite their loss, Ngee Ann were proud of their performance.

“We did quite a good job compared to other matches, so we have no regrets,” captain Gwendaline (NAS #8) commented.

They should not have any regrets because it was clear that they left it all on the court – their sheer determination and unwavering spirit. In fact, both teams fought hard, whether they were winning or losing. And they fought hard, with an attitude the boys (honestly) ought to emulate.

Scoring by Quarter
NAS vs NJC
1st Quarter: 11–7
2nd Quarter: 6–27 (17–34)
3rd Quarter: 10–8 (27–42)
4th Quarter: 18-12 (45–54)

Top Scorers
NAS
An Ting (#6) – 16 points
Gwendaline (#8) – 15 points

NJC
Agnes Lee Ying Faye (#5) – 26 points

NAS Roster
Jia Hui (#4), Qian Qian (#5), An Ting (#6), Hanni (#7), Gwendaline (#8), Enqi (#9), Kelly (#12), Amber (#13), Nabilah (#16), Melanie (#20), Khaliqah (#21)

NJC Roster
Tan Wei Xuan Rachel (#2), Ng Mu Rong (#3), Agnes Lee Ying Faye (#5), Joanna Wei Xin Yue (#9), Arshia Bansal (#10), Tiana Huang Chienchi (#14), Kimi Neo Huilin (#15), Amanda Han Xinzhi (#20), Aruna D/O Vadivelu (#21), Baskar Janisha Reddy (#25), Engie Low (#27), Breanne Kaur Gill (#32)

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