By Rebecca Yip/Red Sports
Andy Tan (#13, right) of Guanyang contests for the ball with Ryan Lee (#7) of Fairfield. Andy had a game-high 22 points but his team eventually lost by three points. (Photo © Les Tan/Red Sports)
PESEB, Wednesday, July 16, 2012 — Fairfield Methodist School came from nine points down to beat Guangyang Secondary 47-44 in the South Zone C Division Basketball Championship.
This win guarantees a top four finish in the South Zone for Fairfield, provided they win their next match against Queensway. For Guangyang, this loss means that they face the tough task of having to beat defending champions, Catholic High, in order to get into the top four and qualify for Nationals.
With both teams having a lot at stake, the atmosphere on court was intense.
Guangyang had an early three-point lead, but Fairfield leveled the score midway through the first quarter, persevering against the tight defence. Fairfield played a slow and cautious game in contrast Guangyang’s fast style of play, but what Fairfield lacked in speed, they made up with fighting spirit as they went for every ball and never let the Guangyang players intimidate them.
Shuan Tham’s (#6) accuracy helped Fairfield gain a three-point, 22-19 lead by the end of the second quarter. Fairfield’s defence also continually blocked out Guangyang’s main scorers, Winz Lam (#7) and Mao Wei Hao (#10).
Wei Hao’s (#10) drives through the Fairfield defence were almost unstoppable, but the referee’s frequent calls for travelling against him cost his team.
However, the tables were turned in the third quarter and Guangyang found themselves in the lead because of Fairfield’s poor accuracy. A 3-pointer by Andy Tan (#13) and a buzzer-beater ensured that the third quarter ended 34-28 in Guangyang’s favour.
Another 3-point shot by Andy Tan (#13) at the beginning of the fourth quarter gave Guangyang a nine-point lead, the largest ever in the game. Andy (#13) eventually finished the with a game-high 22 points.
Fairfield and they looked like they were about to give up hope when a basket by Ryan Lee (#7) upped the team’s morale. Fairfield managed to close the gap on their fatigued opponents and tied the game up in the final minutes of the last quarter.
The difference in the end came down to free throws. Guangyang’s captain, Clement Koh (#11) and teammate, Andy Tan (#13), between them missed four free throws. In contrast, Fairfield’s Ryan Lee (#7) and Krison Sum (#12) sank theirs to secure a much-deserved win.
At the final buzzer, Fairfield’s bench went wild with excitement and even the teachers joined in the celebration.
Fairfield’s captain, Benedict Ng (#13), was proud that his team never stopped fighting.
He said: “The game was very pressurizing. The Secondary 2s didn’t play well but the Sec 1s stepped up their game. There were some quarters which we lost but we managed to catch up.”
Vice-Captain, Lee Lai Quan (#9), added that they really thank God for the win.
Guangyang’s captain, Clement Koh (#11), was visibly upset with his team’s loss and admitted that they played terribly.
When asked about his team’s performance, he said, “We didn’t get the rebounds and didn’t outscore them. They were just better than us. We had many chances to catch up but missed a lot of our free throws.”
When asked about the pressure of the last quarter, he also said that the team was very stressed as they have never experienced such a tense game before. He hopes that it could be a learning experience for them.
P.S. Fairfield beat Queensway Secondary 59-42 in their final game on Friday. They finished second in the group with a 3-1 win-loss record. Catholic High topped the group with a perfect 4-0 record when they beat Guangyang 55-22.
Score by Quarter
Fairfield Methodist vs Guangyang
1st Q: 9-7
2nd Q: 13-12 (22-19)
3rd Q: 6-15 (28-34)
4th Q: 19-10
Final: 47-44
Top Scorers
Fairfield
Benedict Ng (#13) – 11 points
Krison Sum (#12) – 10 points
Ryan Lee (#6) – 6 points
Shuan Tham (#6) – 6 points
Guangyang
Andy Tan (#13) – 22 points
Mao Wei Hao (#10) – 11 points
Fairfield Roster
Ryan Chew (#4), Joshua Yap (#5), Shuan Tham (#6), Ryan Lee (#7), Andre Wong (#8), Lee Lai Quan (#9), Bryan Ng (#10), Gavin Tay (#11), Krison Sum (#12), Benedict Ng (#13), Jerome Tan (#14), Hedley Ying (#15)
Guangyang Roster
Zdulfika bin Ahakasah (#4), Damien Koh (#5), Donovan Kok (#6), Winz Lam (#7), Randy Ho (#8), Mao Wei Hao (#10), Clement Koh (#11), Daniel Mathieu (#12), Andy Tan (#13), Anderson Lim (#14), Choo Zhen Wei (#15)
South Zone C Division Basketball Championship – full fixtures and results
More photos in gallery next page
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