Story by Chan Hua Zheng/Red Sports. Photos by Dylan Chua/Red Sports.

Tiong Chuan Yao (MJC #6) goes coast-to-coast for two of his game-high 22 points against NYJC. (Photo 1 © Dylan Chua/Red Sports)

Tiong Chuan Yao (MJC #6) goes coast-to-coast for two of his game-high 22 points against NYJC. (Photo 1 © Dylan Chua/Red Sports)

Singapore Basketball Centre, Monday, May 7, 2018 — Meridian Junior College (MJC) flipped the switch and put up a dominant performance on both ends in the final quarter to pull off a 57–41 victory over Nanyang Junior College (NYJC) in the second round of the National A Division Basketball Championship.

With this win, MJC improved to a 2–1 win-loss record in Group P. On the other hand, NYJC fell to a 1–2 record, taking a big blow to their bid for a semi-finals berth after the loss.

MJC was led by a game-high 22 points from Tiong Chuan Yao (MJC #6), while Darryl Chan (MJC #28) chipped in 10 points.

NYJC was led by a team-high 17 points from Wilbur Tan (NYJC #26) while Avinesh (NYJC #4) posted a solid 13-point performance.

The first quarter saw both teams executing great ball movement in their half-court offense to keep the defense on their heels and create open shots.

MJC drew first blood in the match on a corner three by Gan Qing Yang (MJC #4) which sparked a 10–4 scoring run over the first 7 minutes and 7 seconds of the period.

NYJC would respond with a three from Wilbur Tan (NYJC #26) with 3:11 left and proceed to go on a 7–2 scoring run over the remainder of what was a tightly contested quarter to narrow the gap to 11–12.

NYJC would eventually grab the lead in the second quarter after Wilbur Tan (NYJC #26) swished home a pull up three to give NYJC a 16–14 lead with 8:26 remaining.

However, NYJC were unable to keep the momentum of the game in their favor as their defense struggled to keep up with MJC in transition and allowed MJC to outscore them 15–7 over the remainder of the quarter to regain a 26–21 lead entering the half time break.

Both teams locked up defensively in the third quarter as they hustled hard to swarm the opposing offense and cut off passing lanes, forcing turnovers for easy fast-break points.

NYJC managed to trim their deficit to just three with 4:26 remaining after Gan Qing Yang (NYJC #4) drove through the teeth of the defense for a floater but MJC would then proceed to go on a 6–1 scoring burst over the course of the quarter to extend their lead to 40–32.

The final quarter saw NYJC score four straight points, including a sick euro-step fast-break lay-up by Quah Yan Hui (NYJC #27) that sent the crowd wild, to narrow their deficit to 36–40 with 7:06 left on the clock.

After that sequence, it seemed that NYJC had momentum on their side and were going to mount a comeback.

However, MJC had other plans as they proceeded to flip the switch on both ends, displaying a suffocating man-to-man defense that forced several turnovers from NYJC while playing at a blistering pace on offense to outpace the NYJC defense.

MJC would mount a massive 17–6 scoring run to snuff out any hopes of a NYJC comeback and end the match with a 57–41 victory.

MJC will next face Raffles Institution while NYJC will be matched up against Hwa Chong Institution. Both matches will be held on May 9 at the Singapore Basketball Centre. Both matches will tip-off at 3.15 pm.

Scoring by Quarter
Meridian Junior College v Nanyang Junior College
1st Q: 12–11
2nd Q: 14–10 (26–21)
3rd Q: 14–11 (40–32)
4th Q: 17–9 (57–41)

Leading Scorers
Meridian Junior College
Tiong Chuan Yao (#6) — 22 points
Darryl Chan (#28) — 10 points

Nanyang Junior College
Wilbur Tan (#26) — 17 points
Avinesh (#4) — 13 points

Nanyang Junior College
Avinesh (#4), Yang Kai Xun (#6), Tay Zhi Yi (#7), Liang En Mao (#11), Ng Zheng Wei (#21), Nixon Ng Lixuan (#23), Teo Yi Quan (#24), Zhong Zhu Chen (#25), Wilbur Tan Ming Sheng (#26), Nicholas Quah Yan Hui (#27), Leow Zhan Xian (#28), Lim Yan Rui (#29)

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)

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