Story By Jiexin Neo/Red Sports. Photos by Soh Jun Wei and Laura Lee/Red Sports
Lai Hao Qian (AHS #5) puts up a layup during the fastbreak against Dexter Tan (JSS #6). (Photo 1 © Soh Jun Wei/Red Sports)
Clementi Sports Hall, Wednesday, March 26, 2014 — Anglican High School (AHS) came back from a weak first half to defeat Jurong Secondary School (JSS) 56–49 in the opening game of the National B Division Boys Basketball Championship.
Shawn Toh (AHS #6) led his team with 19 points, while Lee Jia Hui (JSS #6) registered a game-high 22 points.
Eugene Yeong (#9) of Jurong netted two 3-pointers in the first quarter, pacing the game for Jurong. On the other hand, Anglican High’s offensive efforts paled in comparison as they trailed 7–14 by the end of the quarter.
In the second quarter, Shawn (AHS #6) buried a jumper to score the first two points. Venneth Chua (JSS #13) responded shortly after with another.
Jurong grabbed a couple of offensive rebounds this quarter, giving them the opportunity to extend their lead. However, they were unable to convert their second chances as they missed several underbasket shots.
For Anglican High, Shawn (#6) was the key offensive man, scoring crucial points to keep the deficit in check. They only managed to reduce the deficit by a mere one point, as Jurong led 27–21 going into the break.
Lai Hao Qian (AHS #5) stepped up his game from the start of the second half, going on strong drives and thus drawing fouls from his opponents when they tried to reach in for the ball. Also, the duo of Hao Qian (#5) and Shawn (#6) paced Anglican High’s offensive plays with their good rapport on court, distributing good passes and finding the net with most of their shots. This is especially so for Hao Qian who contributed 11 points in the third quarter alone.
Anglican High took over the lead midway through the third quarter, when Hao Qian (#5) scored a 3-point jumper to make it 32–31. Alkhalifa bin Muzian (#14) also played a much better game, taking down rebounds and blocking Jurong’s shot attempts.
On the other hand, even though Jia Hui (JSS #6) led Jurong’s scoring with five points from start of the third quarter, Jurong struggled to convert and only scored on free throws. They trailed 36–41 going into the decisive last quarter.
Shawn (#6) continued with his good game in the final quarter, grabbing offensive boards and converting efficiently.
Jurong were desperately trying to find the net with their shots in the final minutes, but to no avail as Anglican High responded with stronger defence, denying Jurong from a last-minute comeback.
Anglican High sealed the game in the last minute with five consecutive free throws from Alkhalifa (#14), Shawn (#6) and Randall Fang (#11), ending their opening game with a 55–49 win over Jurong.
Anglican High captain, Shawn (#6) said, “I think we did badly for the first half. But for the second half, we built up our defence and made our shots. I think our greatest opponent in this group is RI, as they are the South Zone champions. I hope we can make it into the second round, but we don’t want to underestimate our opponents. We are just taking it game by game.”
Jurong captain, Jia Hui (#6) said, “I think we did very terribly, both offensively and defensively. Our next game is against RI. So we are just trying our best to win our next match to qualify.”
Scoring by Quarter
AHS vs JSS
1Q: 7–14
2Q: 14–13 (21–27)
3Q: 20–9 (41–36)
4Q: 15–13 (56–49)
Final score: 56–49
Top Scorers
Anglican High School
Shawn Toh (#6) – 19 points (2 x 3 pointer)
Jurong Secondary School
Lee Jia Hui (#6) – 22 points (2 x 3 pointer)
Anglican High School Roster
Lim Li Lei (#4), Lai Hao Qian (#5), Shawn Toh (#6), Lai Jun Yuan (#7), Lim Zi Jian (#8), Goh Hong Wei (#9), Li Chuan (#10), Randall Fang (#11), Jovan Teo (#12), Shaun Teo (#13), Alkhalifa bin Muzian (#14), Cheong Jo Ray (#15)
Jurong Secondary School Roster
Wu Mingming (#4), Chew Hong Xiang (#5), Lee Jia Hui (#6), Chen Kai Lin (#7), Nigel Ong Jia Wei (#8), Yeong Yee Hong Eugene (#9), Bryan Ang Yi Long (#10), Zester Tay (#11), Mohammed Naseer B Sahul Hameed (#12), Venneth Chua Chin Tat (#13), Mao Yuxian (#14), Mohamad Norisham B Nazaruddin (#15)
National B Division Boys Basketball Championship — Fixtures and Results
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