Woodgrove Secondary claim first win after defeating Punggol in Round 2 of B Division North Zone basketball

Story by REDintern Alan Chiang. Photos by Vanessa Lim/Red Sports.

Singapore Basketball Centre, Friday, February 20, 2009 - Woodgrove Secondary overcame Punggol Secondary 73-34 in the second round of boys' B Division North Zone Basketball Championship.

Both sides came into the match after losing their first Round 2 games and needed a win to have any chance of proceeding further in the competition.

Punggol managed to capture the first ball of the match and Sheng Yang (PGL #12) made the first 3-pointer to take a lead. The tide was overturned and Woodgrove took over the lead with a 9-0 run. Great defensive work by Woodgrove forced Punggol to shoot from range.

Yong Lin (WGS #8) and Wei Liang (WGS #9) combined well to spearhead the offensive line and contributed six points each. It did not take long before all Woodgrove's starters got on the scoring board.

With 2:00 left in the first quarter, Woodgrove's lead increased to 11 points. They were able to dominate the offensive boards and took their chances with the rebounds. Sheng Yang (PGL #12) single-handedly carried Punggol with an 8-point tally but it was not enough to cut the deficit as Woodgrove ended the first quarter leading 21-14.

Woodgrove started the second quarter on a positive note with centre Yong Lin (WGS #8) scoring the first two points. Their lead extended to as many as 15 points with tireless runs into the paint by Yong Lin (WGS #8) and Wei Liang (WGS #9).

Punggol’s first two points came only after 5:10 on the clock in the second quarter with Vincent (PGL #6) making the outside shot. Wasting easy chances under the basket were costing Punggol dearly and Woodgrove took advantage and surged ahead to establish a massive 25-point lead at 41-16 by the end of the third.

The tempo gradually slowed down in the third quarter as both sides were unable to find their feet. The Woodgrove lead extended to 31 points as Wei Liang (WGS #9) drained the first 3-pointer for his team.

As the match proceeded further, Punggol came back stronger as they adopted full-court press tactics which forced Woodgrove to commit a series of turnovers. The lead was cut to 24 points as Hong Ming (PGL #8), Nelson (PGL #9) and Sheng Yang (PGL #12) made their shots.

In the final quarter, Woodgrove did not take a step back and charged forward with Ih Tau (WGS #7) and Yu Wei (WGS #11) making vital shots. Vincent (PGL #6) and Nelson (PGL #9) tried to spark a revival and Punggol went on an 8-0 run before losing out mentally to Woodgrove for the rest of the match.

Punggol Secondary face elimination unless they can rise above Maris Stella High and Woodlands Ring Secondary in their remaining matches. As for Woodgrove Secondary, they need to win against Woodlands Ring Secondary and North Vista Secondary.

Match Statistics:
Scores by quarter
1st Q: WGS 21 - PGL 14
2nd Q: WGS 41 - PGL 16
3rd Q: WGS 49 - PGL 24
4th Q: WGS 73 - PGL 34

Top scorer
WGS
Wei Liang (#9) - 20 points
Yong Lin (#8) - 18 points

PGL
Vincent (#6) - 10 points
Hong Ming (#8) - 10 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!