Queenstown Secondary beat Guangyang in South Zone basketball

Story by Erwin Wong. Photos by Vanessa Lim.

CCAB, Friday, 6 February 2009 - An immaculate display in the fourth quarter propelled Queenstown Secondary to a vital 64-42 win over rivals Guangyang Secondary in a B Division Boys South Zone Basketball Championship Group B match.

In a match where the winner would be widely anticipated to claim the second coveted spot to join runaway group leaders, the Anglo Chinese School (Barker Rd) in the next round, Queenstown pulled away with a 22-5 run in the final quarter for a seemingly-easy victory. However, the scoreline barely reflected how the match went.

Both teams had a tentative start, the low-scoring first quarter score of 5-5 bearing testament to that. Guangyang, playing their final group match, were restricted to outside shots in the early going, as Queenstown's towering centre Soh Jian Kun (#11) ensured that the area under the basket was well-policed. He was also active on the offensive end, being force-fed passes from teammates for easy baskets and garnering offensive boards for numerous second-chance points. The Guangyang defensive assignments simply could not handle the vertical disadvantage, and they took a timeout midway through the second quarter trailing 11-16.

Guangyang came out firing on all cylinders and tied the game at 21 with a three-pointer from #11, drawing raucous cheers from his bench. However, Queenstown hit back immediately, a basket from a lively Rafael (#14) and a three-point play from Benjamin Ong (#5) gave their team a 26-21 lead at the half.

Again trailing by five, Guangyang went on the offensive in a bid to edge ahead in this pivotal match. An 8-0 run handed them a 32-29 lead with 5:18 remaining in the period, but they couldn't sustain the initiative, as a trey from Wee Keat (Queenstown, #8) tied it at 33 and a further 7-1 run gave the Quests an unassailable 40-34 lead, with 55 seconds left in the quarter. This, according to Guangyang coach Mr Soh Sin Chye, was the chief factor in his team's loss.

"We couldn't hold on to the lead when we had it, and our team rebounding and inside defense was poor. These two teams are closely matched, and we actually performed better against (group leaders) ACS Barker, than Queenstown did against them."

But it was not to be. Queenstown extended their lead in the final period, and though Guangyang's Albert Chen (#14), who top-scored for his team with 14 points, fought valiantly alongside his teammates, they couldn't make baskets and get defensive stops.

Jian Kun (Queenstown, #11), who didn't score for much of the second and third quarters, had his way in the paint once again. He scored eight of his game-high 18 points in the fourth period, and after his three-point play with 4:45 remaining jacked the lead up to double figures, a dispirited Guangyang team never threatened again.

This loss signalled the end of their 2009 B Division campaign for Guangyang and left them contemplating what could have been. For the Quests, they have a final group match next Wednesday against Bishan Park Secondary to look forward to.

Queenstown captain Benjamin Ong (#5), who chipped in with 16 points and attributed today's win to team spirit and a never-say-die attitude, quipped simply, "We are confident of our next match."

A win would confirm Queenstown's entry into the next phase of competition, but a Bishan Park upset victory would give both teams - as well as Guangyang - 6 points each. This would mean that Guangyang would advance into Round 2, if points differential is used as a tiebreaker.

Scoring breakdown by quarter:
Queenstown vs Guangyang
Q1 – 5:5
Q2 – 21:16
Q3 – 16:16
Q4 – 22:5
Final score: 64:42

Leading scorers:
Soh Jian Kun (Queenstown, #11) – 18 points
Benjamin Ong (Queenstown, #5) – 16 points
Albert Chen (Guangyang #14) – 14 points
Wee Keat (Queenstown #8) -12 points

Editor's note: If you recognise yourself or your teammates in any of the photos, feel free to leave the names behind in the comments section and we will update accordingly. Thanks!