Story by Daniel Yeo/Red Sports. Photos by Dylan Chua/Red Sports.
Vernen Lim (HCI #35) sizes up his defender. The HCI guard scored a team-high 15 points, including the game-winning free throw. (Photo 1 © Dylan Chua/Red Sports)
Singapore Basketball Centre, Monday, April 30, 2018 — Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) was able to fend off an inspired Meridian Junior College (MJC) team in their first game of the National A Division Basketball Championship’s second round.
This win places Hwa Chong at the top of the quarter-final standings with a 1-0 win-loss record, while Meridian JC falls with a 0-1 win-loss record.
Hwa Chong was led by some hot shooting from Vernen Lim (HCI #35), who scored a team-high 15 points off three three-pointers. Meanwhile, Chua Qi Wei (HCI #4) chipped in 11 of his own in the Hwa Chong win. For Meridian JC, the aggressive play of Tiong Chuan Yao (MJC #6) propelled him to a game-high 17 points in the loss.
From the get-go, Hwa Chong worked quickly in the midrange to gain an early advantage. To combat this, Meridian JC used their half-court press, which helped force turnovers and ensure that neither team had the advantage.
Throughout the first quarter, both teams employed a zone defence which left defenders scrambling around to find their defensive assignments. But, as the frame came to a close, Meridian JC’s defence shone through, forcing consecutive turnovers to cut into the Hwa Chong lead.
As the second quarter began, both teams seemed to have lost touch from beyond the arc, resorting to drives inside for points. With this strategy, Hwa Chong found success, as they built on the lead they established in the first quarter with some highlight plays.
Hwa Chong’s scoring run was kick-started with a nifty acrobatic layup by Chua Qi Wei (HCI #4) as he adjusted both his body and the ball mid-air. The exclamation point, however, would come from Travis Thong’s (HCI #6) flashy behind-the-back pass to teammate Dong Hun (HCI #18) for the easy score, sending the Hwa Chong bench wild.
As the half came to a close, Vernen Lim (HCI #35) drilled his second three of the game, adding to what looked like an insurmountable deficit for Meridian JC. But Tiong Chuan Yao (MJC #6) made sure they finished strong as he went right back at Hwa Chong for an and-one layup.
The second half began with some stifling defence from both teams, keeping each scoreless for the quarter’s first four minutes. Again, Meridian JC’s defence would work its magic on the Hwa Chong offence, with their double-teaming trap defence forcing turnovers for easy points.
Meridian JC and their suffocating press would go on to limit Hwa Chong to just two points in the quarter and zero field goals made while scoring 11 of their own to tie the game at 29-apiece going into the final frame.
After 30 minutes of physical basketball, both teams seemed to be tiring, each making their fair share of careless turnovers early in the fourth.
Despite this, both traded baskets down the stretch, until another highlight dish from Travis (HCI #6) to Qi Wei (HCI #4) put Hwa Chong up two with 1:21 left in the game. Kenneth Koh (HCI #7) scored two more, and with a 45–41 lead, the momentum seemed to be firmly in Hwa Chong’s favour.
Then, Chuan Yao (MJC #6) happened. Driving into the restricted area, he completed an and-one play to cut the deficit to one. The point guard found himself with the ball on the fast-break soon after and proceeded to calmly step by his man for Meridian JC’s first lead of the half.
However, as the seconds ticked down, Vernen Lim (HCI #35) was fouled on the fast-break. With the game on the line, he coolly sank both his free throws to give Hwa Chong a 47–46 lead they would not relinquish.
Using their final time-out, Meridian JC failed to execute on an out-of-bounds play but were able to keep possession of the ball for one last inbound play with a second left on the clock.
Point guard Chuan Yao (MJC #6) found a cutter to the rim on an excellent play call, but despite scoring six of Meridian JC’s last eight, could not add up one final game-winning assist. Meridian JC missed, and Hwa Chong escaped with a hard-fought win in their first game of the quarter-finals.
Captain Travis (HCI #6) explained how his team bounced back in the fourth quarter after blowing their lead in the third: “We made a mistake, but we just moved on – that’s the attitude we must have. Once the mistake is done, it doesn’t matter, just move on and focus on the next play.”
Giving credit to the Meridian JC team, he mentioned: “They’re a very good team, but we just continued fighting, and eventually we got the win.”
On the other hand, Meridian JC’s Teng Wei Jie (MJC #5) shared on how his team could improve in the matches to come: “We need to be consistent if we want to win, instead of playing just one good quarter.”
“After today’s loss, we need to fight harder for our next few matches. We’re more motivated to win the rest of our games and progress to the semi-finals,” Wei Jie added.
Hwa Chong will next face Temasek Junior College on May 2, with a 3.15pm tip-off at Singapore Basketball Centre.
Meridian JC will also face Temasek Junior College, but on May 4, with a 3.15pm tip-off at Singapore Basketball Centre.
Scoring by Quarter
Hwa Chong Institute v Meridian Junior College
1st Q: 15–11
2nd Q: 12–7 (27–18)
3rd Q: 2–11 (29–29)
4th Q: 18–17 (47–46)
Leading Scorers
Hwa Chong Institute
Vernen Lim (#35) – 15 points, 3 3PM
Chua Qi Wei (#4) – 11 points
Meridian Junior College
Tiong Chuan Yao (#6) – 17 points
Hwa Chong Institute Roster
Ondre Tan (#2), Lin Yuan Xun (#3), Chua Qi Wei (#4), Travis Thong (#6), Kenneth Koh (#7), Chong Ke-Ming (#8), Wei Yong Xi (#10), Guan Xiao (#12), Shin Dong Hun (#18), Yan Wei Dong (#21), Kuan Jian Rong (#27), Vernen Lim (#35)
Meridian Junior College Roster
Jeremiah Khong (#1), Dorian Chin (#2), Nathanael Tan (#3), Gan Qing Yang (#4), Teng Wei Jie (#5), Tiong Chuan Yao (#6), Gabriel Tan (#7), Chin Chee Yong (#8), Jovan (#10), Clement Choo (#22), Zafir (#24), Darryl Chan (#28)
More photos next page
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