Story by Zachary Foo/Red Sports. Photos by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports
Maisarah (Unity #7) shoots against Nanyang Girls’. Maisarah recorded a team-high 10 points in the victory. (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)
Clementi Sports Hall, Friday, February 21, 2014 — A strong final quarter helped Unity Secondary (USS) overcome Nanyang Girls’ High School (NYGH) 38–35 in the second round of the West Zone B Division Girls Basketball Championship. Maisarah Sauki (USS #7) led all scorers with 10 points.
Nanyang Girls’ led all the way from the start, only to allow Unity to claw back in the final minutes to secure the win.
Unity started off in their signature full-court press. However, it was not entirely consistent as they allowed Nanyang to break through it easily. Their physicality also saw them rack out a lot of fouls, putting them in early foul trouble. Nanyang Girls’ enjoyed a balanced scoring attack, which saw four different players put points on the board for them in the first quarter. Maisarah (USS #7) was influential for Unity, helping to pace them with six points.
Unity found trouble scoring in the second quarter, turning the ball over frequently on bad passes or violation calls. This was due to the good fundamentals displayed by the Nanyang Girls’ defence. They double teamed the ball handler each time and sought to prevent Unity passes into the post. Both teams found it difficult to score in this period, as they kept taking ill-advised shots. Nanyang went into the half time break holding a slim one-point lead.
In the quarter, Unity’s eagerness on defence saw them get into foul trouble again. Nanyang were unable to exploit this, as they had trouble driving into the paint. There was a moment of concern for Unity, when Cheryl Ong (USS #10) tumbled to the floor in agony, clutching her knee. She was helped off the court, but was able to return to play in fourth quarter.
The final quarter saw Unity make their comeback from the jaws of defeat. Down two points with one minute left, Priscilla Wong (USS #5) drove baseline to score and tie the game. After a good defensive stop by Unity, Maisarah (USS #7) made one of two of her free throws to give them some breathing space. On the ensuing Nanyang possession, they could not find an open shot, missing entirely. Priscilla (USS #5) then iced the game, making two of her free throws and giving Unity the 38–35 win.
Unity captain, Musrifah bte Masiran, said, “I think it was okay, we’ve played with them before and we know how they are like. We have to box out, make our outside shots and improve out set plays. We hope to become national champions this year.”
Scoring by Quarter
Nanyang Girls’ High School vs Unity Secondary
1st Quarter: 12–10
2nd Quarter: 4–5(16–15)
3rd Quarter: 10–10 (26–25)
4th Quarter: 9–13 (35–38)
Top Scorers
Nanyang Girls’
Charmain Cheah (#13) – 7 points
Unity
Maisarah Bte Mohammad Sauki (#7) – 10 points
Nanyang Girls’ Roster
Sheryl Ng Xue Qi (#4), Pek Zhi Min (#5), Chloe Yan Yingyun (#6), Boon Jia Hwee (#7), Jacqueline Yang Chu Ruo (#8), Ng Ziqi Natasha (#9), Wong Swee Kit Rachel (#10), Dalini Vicktoria Rajandhran (#11), Lim Boon Yee (#12), Charmian Cheah (#13), Tan Li Wen (#14), Chan Yu Shin (#15)
Unity Roster
Tan Jun Xiu (#4), Priscilla Wong Ting Hui (#5), Lim Ke An (#6), Maisarah Bte Mohammad Sauki (#7), Eliya Sabrina Bte Suhaimi (#8), Nurul Ameerah Tunessa (#9), Cheryl Ong Ying Qi (#10), Melissa Mok Zi Yu (#11), Musrifah Fadzlia Bte Masiran (#12), Lim Xiang Xuan (#13), Ng Xin Yi (#14), Siti Nur Amirah Bte Arnuar (#15)
More photos next page
[…] teams have faced each other twice this season. Unity claimed the first game 38–35, while Nanyang Girls’ clinched the West Zone final […]
[…] edged out Nanyang 38–35 in the second round, but Nanyang managed to take their game to another level to pull out the win […]