Story By Zachary Foo/Red Sports. Photos by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports, REDintern Laura Lee
Charmian Cheah (Nanyang #13) passes the ball against Lim Ke An (Unity #6). Charmian led Nanyang with 15 points in the victory. (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)
Jurong East Sports and Recreation Centre, Monday, March 10, 2014 — Nanyang Girls’ High School claimed the zonal title with a 62–53 win over Unity Secondary in the West Zone B Division Girls Basketball Championship.
Charmian Cheah (Nanyang #13) led all scorers with 15 points, while Lim Ke An (Unity #6) paced her team with 12 points.
Unity edged out Nanyang 38–35 in the second round, but Nanyang managed to take their game to another level to pull out the win today. They last won the zonal title in 2012.
The first half was a tight battle between both teams. Unity’s full-court press was uncharacteristically poor in this game, allowing Nanyang to break the press easily multiple times. This allowed Nanyang to keep pace in scoring as they were gifted with easy attempts after breaking the press. Nanyang exhibited good ball movement in the half-court set, always finding open players for the shot.
Ke An (Unity #6) was crucial for her team in the first half, putting in eight points to lead Unity. Charmian (Nanyang #13) poured in seven points in that span. Nanyang took a 26–25 lead heading into the break.
Unity came out strong at the start of the third quarter, using good fundamentals on defence to stop Nanyang attempts at the basket. This allowed them to hold on to the lead for most of the quarter. However, Nanyang went on a 7–0 run to close out the quarter. Chloe Yan (Nanyang #6) and Rachel Wong (Nanyang #10) were responsible for the spurt that gave Nanyang a comfortable lead. The 6–point margin was the biggest lead in the game at that point.
In the final quarter, Unity threatened to make a comeback and wrest back the title. However, Nanyang always found a reply each time. When Priscilla Wong (Unity #5) made a couple of three-pointers, Nanyang dug deep each time to answer. Eventually, the Unity train ran out of steam and Nanyang emerged as West Zone champions with a 62–53 win.
Nanyang captain, Sheryl Ng (#4), said, “We are very happy today to have won. We had fewer turnovers as compared to the previous game against Unity, which helped us to the win. I hope we can make it to the national final this year.”
Charmian Cheah (Nanyang #13), added, “I think we had quite a lot of fouls today, but we were lucky nobody fouled out. We hope to make the national final this year.” She ended off by saying, “Revenge is a dish best served gold.”
Scoring by Quarter
Nanyang Girls’ vs Unity
1st Quarter: 15–17
2nd Quarter: 11–8 (26–25)
3rd Quarter: 20–15 (46–40)
4th Quarter: 16–13 (62–53)
Top Scorers
Nanyang Girls’
Charmian Cheah (#13) – 15 points
Tan Li Wen (#14) – 13 points
Chloe Yan Yingyun (#6) – 12 points
Unity
Lim Ke An (#6)- 12 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)
West Zone B Division Girls Basketball Championships — Fixtures and Results
More photos next page
[…] Both teams have faced each other twice this season. Unity claimed the first game 38–35, while Nanyang Girls’ clinched the West Zone final 62–53. […]