By Gan Yu Neng/Red Sports
Lakksman Ganapathy (#13) of Ahmad Ibrahim lays up against the challenge of Leon Chin of Unity. Lakksman had 21 points in the game. (Photo © Les Tan/Red Sports)
Clementi Sports Hall, Tuesday, August 14, 2012 — In a game against opponents with a far superior reputation and track record, Ahmad Ibrahim showed their mettle by outscoring Unity for all four quarters to beat them 72-52 in their last Round 2 match in the National C Division Basketball Championship.
In anticipation of the challenge, Ahmad Ibrahim kept their starting five on court for the duration of the entire match even as Unity kept up a rolling substitution. This decision not to rest their best players appeared to pay off — no combination of Unity players was able to break down Ahmad Ibrahim’s strongest five.
Probably the most significant player of the match was Lakksman Ganapathy (#13) of Ahmad Ibrahim, who was the tallest and largest player on the court, dwarfing even Unity’s Shahrul Ramdum (#15). Lakksman was invincible beneath the basket, catching all of his team’s defensive rebounds, winning almost every aerial confrontation with his sheer bulk. Against him, Unity were given no second chances on their shots.
On the offense, Lakksman could wait patiently beneath Unity’s basket as Ahmad Ibrahim worked to break through Unity’s defensive formation. More often than not, Lakksman was able to catch Ahmad Ibrahim’s offensive rebounds despite Unity’s best efforts.
At one point in the third quarter, Lakksman jumped for the rebound and managed to grab it despite all five of Unity’s players jumping with him. He missed his shot and jumped again, once again grabbing the ball over the heads of Unity’s entire team. Lakksman eventually scored two, after grabbing the offensive rebound three consecutive times in this manner.
Ahmad Ibrahim’s top scorer, however, was Choo Yi Zhao (#9), who had a strong partnership with Lakksman throughout the match. When Lakksman had the ball from a defensive rebound, he would make a long pass from Ahmad Ibrahim’s basket all the way up to where Yi Zhao was waiting. Yi Zhao would then complete the fast break and score from a lay-up.
On other turnovers, where Unity’s defense were ready for him. Yi Zhao would instead advance the ball up and then pass it in to Lakksman, who would score from under the basket. Yi Zhao had a game-high 24 points, while Lakksman was a close second with 21.
Unity expended much effort in trying to cope with Ahmad Ibrahim’s style of play with fast breaks and three-point attempts. Unity’s Thng Yong An (#5), Kovic Lee (#8) and John Christopher (#7) fought hard to intercept Ahmad Ibrahim’s passes and disrupt the Lakksman-Yi Zhao combination.
However, under pressure from Ahmad Ibrahim’s defense, they were unable to sink their shots, and with Lakksman or Wong Chee Kian (#15) at the basket to catch rebounds for Ahmad Ibrahim, they were given no second chances. Despite his many attempts, John Christopher made only one three-pointer over the course of the game.
With this win, Ahmad Ibrahim and Unity both move to the semi-finals with two wins and one loss each. On the other court, Presbyterian High finished their season by successfully defeating North Vista Secondary 54-50, effectively eliminating them from the championship.
Ahmad Ibrahim were ecstatic about the win, and confessed that they did not think the match would go so well.
“Before the match, we thought that we would lose,” said Yi Zhao (#9).
“Unity is one of the best schools in recent years, while Ahmad Ibrahim, we’re still new,” said Lakksman (#13), who was intent on celebrating the team’s first time in the Top Four.
On their opponents, Ahmad Ibrahim captain Wong Chee Kian (#15) felt that they did not play as well as they could.
“Their three-pointers were a bit off,” said Chee Kian.
“It’s good that we managed to shut off their three-point plays,” added Lakksman.
Having topped the group, Ahmad Ibrahim’s next opponents will be Catholic High, who also have a 2-1 win-loss record from Round 2.
“It’s going to be a tough match,” said Chee Kian.
Yi Zhao finished: “We look forward to beating them and going on to the National final.”
Ahmad Ibrahim will next face Catholic High in the semi-finals with Unity playing Dunman Secondary on the other court. The semi-finals will be held on Thursday, 16th August, 3pm at Clementi Sports Hall.
Score by Quarter
Unity vs Ahmad Ibrahim
1st Q: 11-15
2nd Q: 15-18 (26-33)
3rd Q: 14-21 (40-54)
4th Q: 12-18
Final Score: 52-72
Top Scorers
Unity
Thng Yong An (#5) — 20 points
Lee Kovic (#8) — 14 points
John Christopher (#7) — 7 points
Foo Jun Lin (#10) — 5 points
Shahrul Ramdum (#15) — 3 points
Tan Ming Hui (#9) — 2 points
Muhd Afiq (#12) — 1 point
Ahmad Ibrahim
Choo Yi Zhao (#9) — 24 points
Lakksman A/L Ganapathy (#13) — 21 points
Wee Zhi Ming (#7) — 14 points
Wong Chee Kian (#15) — 10 points
Daeson Tang Zhi Yi (#6) — 3 points
Unity Roster
Indra Dzuliman (#4), Thng Yong An (#5), Markus Lin (#6), John Christopher (#7), Lee Kovic (#8), Tan Ming Hui (#9), Foo Jun Lin (#10), David Martin (#11), Muhd Afiq (#12), Brandon Tan (#13), Leon Chin (#14), Shahrul Ramdum (#15)
Ahmad Ibrahim Roster
Wayne Ng Joon Heng (#4), Benedict Oh Sheng Yang (#5), Daeson Tang Zhi Yi (#6), (#7), Dylan Chia Wei Wen (#8), Choo Yi Zhao (#9), Javier Chew Jun Hao (#10), Eugene Koh Lian Qun (#11), Soh Ming Wee (#12), Lakksman A/L Ganapathy (#13), Lau Beng Yew (#14), Wong Chee Kian (#15)
National C Division Basketball Championship — full fixtures and results
More photos in gallery next page
[…] will now play for third place against Ahmad Ibrahim in a rematch of their last Round 2 match. Then, Ahmad Ibrahim had managed to win by a considerable margin of 20 points. The match will take place on Wednesday, August 22nd, 3pm, at Clementi Sports […]