By REDintern Lim Yong Teck
Zi Yu (Unity #9) driving through the lane for a layup. Zi Yu had a team-high 17 points to propel Unity to victory. (Photo 1 © REDintern Lim Yong Teck)
Clementi Sports Hall, Thursday, April 11, 2013 — Unity Secondary defeated Kranji Secondary 59–53 in the second round of the National B Division Girls Basketball Championship.
Due to an earlier loss to New Town, Kranji had to win the game today to have hopes of qualifying for a semi-final spot.
Unity advance to the semi-finals and will face South Zone champions Singapore Chinese Girls’ School.
Unity started the game with their signature full court defensive press, but Isabel Yeo (#14) managed to penetrate through the defence to put Kranji up 5–0 with a three pointer and a quick jumper. Unity capitalized on their defence to force multiple turnovers from Kranji and pulled away to end the quarter at 9–18.
The second quarter saw Kranji fight back with Toh Hui Ying (#7), who was the answer to Unity’s full court defensive press. Being the tallest player on court, Hui Ying was strategically placed in the mid-court to help bring the ball up court from the inbound pass. Hui Ying was also impressive on the boards to help Kranji secure many second-chance points.
The second quarter started with a free throw from Gina Balanon Rhey (#11) and a jumper from Teo Wei Xin (#6) to help reduce Kranji’s deficit to six points. Unity could not convert their baskets and made costly turnovers that led to multiple Kranji fast break attempts. After a free throw by Lim Xiang Xuan (Unity #13), a three pointer by Isabel sparked a 12–0 run and Kranji assumed a 5 point lead at 24–19. After a timeout, Unity responded with a 12–0 run of their own to reclaim the lead and end the half at 24–31.
Priscilla Wong (Unity #5) started the third quarter with a three pointer but Kranji answered with a three-point play by Solehatul Aini Bte Kamsani (#13). A rebound putback by Unity captain, Au Zi Yu (#9), and a three-pointer by Cheryl Ong Ying Qi (#10) extended Unity’s lead to 12 points at 27–39. With just three minutes to play, Isabel sank a three-pointer and in the process, drew contact for a rare four-point play. A subsequent layup by Hui Ying and a free throw by Nabilah Bte Alfian (#8) reduced Kranji’s deficit to five points (34–39) at the end of the third.
The final quarter was a high-scoring one that saw multiple lead changes. Kranji’s Nabilah scored eight points in the quarter alone, with her points coming from fast breaks alone. With just a minute left, Jessah Marie Rara Torralba (#15) put Unity up three with a baseline jumper. A key three-pointer by Isabel helped Kranji tie the game at 53 apiece, with 30 seconds to play. Zi Yu was the hero for Unity and poured in six straight points, all within the last 30 seconds to seal the game at 53–59.
Unity’s Zi Yu commented: “It was quite tough at first with the tight scoreline but we pulled through by making all our simple shots in the last quarter. We can do better with our teamwork.”
Score by Quarter
Kranji vs Unity
1st Quarter: 9–18
2nd Quarter: 15–13 (24–31)
3rd Quarter: 10–8 (34–39)
4th Quarter: 19–20 (53–59)
Top Scorers
Kranji
Yeo Yu Yan Isabel (#14) — 19 points (4 x 3 pointers)
Nabilah Bte Alfian (#8) — 8 points
Unity
Au Zi Yu (#9) — 17 points (1 x 3 pointer)
Priscilla Wong Ting Hui (#5) — 14 points (4 x 3 pointers)
Kranji roster
Delvine Tan Hui Tien (#4), Dang Jia Ning (#5), Teo Wei Xin (#6), Toh Hui Ying (#7), Nabilah Bte Alfian (#8), Chia Pei Jun (#9), Tey Qi Xuan Carin (#10), Balanon Rhey Gina (#11), Kang Pei Ling (#12), Solehatul Aini Bte Kamsani (#13), Yeo Yu Yan Isabel (#14), Mariah Frahzciel V Nalzaro (#15)
Unity Roster
Yeo Ci Yuan Rachel (#4), Priscilla Wong Ting Hui (#5), Lee Jia Yi (#6), Maisarah Bte Mohammad Sauki (#7), Eliya Sabrina Bte Suhaimi (#8), Au Zi Yu (#9), Cheryl Ong Ying Qi (#10), Chia Siu Wei (#11), Musrifah Fadzlia Bte Masiran (#12), Lim Xiang Xuan (#13), Ng Xin Yi (#14), Torralba Jessah Marie Rara (#15)
2013 National B Division Girls Basketball Championship — fixtures and results
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