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

Xavier Ng (AJC #13) rises for a bank shot to score two of his game-high 18 points. (Photo 1 © Dylan Chua/Red Sports)

Xavier Ng (AJC #13) rises for a bank shot to score two of his game-high 18 points. (Photo 1 © Dylan Chua/Red Sports)

Jurong East Sports Hall, Tuesday, May 15, 2018 — Anderson Junior College (AJC) flipped the switch with a dominant second-half performance in their 64–40 victory over Meridian Junior College (MJC) to advance to the final of the National A Division Basketball Championship.

Xavier Ng (AJC #13) scored a game-high 18 points to lead AJC, while Ryan Ignatius De Mello (AJC #7) and Ram Sunda Putra (AJC #25) each contributed solid 15-point performances.

MJC was led by Zafir (MJC #24), who also scored a game-high 18 points. Tiong Chuan Yao (MJC #6) chipped in seven points.

Right after tip-off, both teams played at an uptempo pace in a bid to score quick baskets. The opening quarter would turn out to be closely contested, as both teams traded scoring runs with each other.

After MJC sprinted out to a 15–6 run in the opening 6 minutes and 10 seconds, AJC struck back by closing the quarter with a 8–1 scoring run that was capped by a three pointer from Mohamad Hilman (AJC #14) with 16.2 seconds remaining.

The second quarter would continue to be a competitive affair from both sides, as both teams kept themselves within five points from each other throughout the quarter.

After a lay-up by Darryl Chan (MJC #28) with 2:44 left gave MJC a slim 25–23 lead, Ram Sunda Putra (AJC #25) went on a personal scoring run over the last two minutes, swishing two treys to give AJC a 29–25 lead at half-time.

The third quarter saw AJC lock up on the defensive end, forcing MJC into taking tough shots and turnovers as passing lanes were cut off by the swarming defense. AJC turned defense into offense, scoring 10 of their 17 points in the period off MJC turnovers.

AJC would close out the final 5 minutes and 51 seconds of the quarter on a massive 15–0 run to seize control of the game as they led 46–31 heading into the final quarter.

AJC would continue their dominance on both ends of the floor in the final quarter, outscoring MJC 19–8 over the course of the fourth quarter to seal their final berth with a convincing 64–40 victory.

Scoring by Quarter
MJC vs AJC
1st Q: 16–14
2nd Q: 9–15 (25–29)
3rd Q: 6–17 (31–46)
4th Q: 9–18 (40–64)

Top Scorers
MJC
Zafir (#24) – 18 points
Tiong Chuan Yao (#6) – 7 points

AJC
Xavier Ng (#13) – 18 points
Ram Sunda Putra (#25) – 15 points
Ryan Ignatius De Mello (#7) – 15 points

MJC 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)

AJC Roster
Rajvir Singh Gill (#1), Adrian Then (#3), Atif Nainar Hussain (#5), Ryan Ignatius De Mello (#7), Tan Jing Jie (#9), Han Li (#10), Yu Zongkai (#11), Andrew Ng (#12), Xavier Ng (#13), Mohamad Hilman (#14), Keith Tan (#21), Ram Sunda Putra (#25)

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