Story By Zachary Foo/Red Sports. Photos by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports
Ang Zi Yang (BP #4) drives against Richard Dela Cruz (FMSS #8). Zi Yang led all scorers with 18 points in the contest. (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)
Clementi Sports Hall, Thursday, March 26, 2014 — Bukit Panjang Government High pulled out a 58–45 win over Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) in the first round of the National B Division Boys Basketball Championship. Ang Zi Yang (BP #4) was the top scorer with 18 points, while Krison Sum (FMSS #12) contributed 11 points to lead his team.
Bukit Panjang now share the lead of Group B along with North Vista Secondary. Both teams have compiled a 2–0 win–loss record and have qualified for the second round of the championship.
Fairfield Methodist came out of the gates showing good hustle on both ends of the court. Krison (FMSS #12) dropped two three-pointers, while also making life difficult for Bukit Panjang’s primary ball handlers. Bukit Panjang could not find any time to set up their offence, as the defensive pressure from Fairfield was too great.
The second quarter saw the tide turn in favour of Bukit Panjang. Fairfield Methodist’s hot shooting suddenly disappeared, allowing Bukit Panjang to take full advantage. Bukit Panjang’s frontcourt of Edmund Leong (BP #5) and Vignesh (BP #11) stepped up in a big way, combining for nine points in the quarter. They were responsible for turning a six-point deficit into a three-point lead by halftime.
With the Fairfield defence keyed in on stopping Vignesh (BP #11) in the paint, this left a couple of Bukit Panjang players open on the perimeter. Zi Yang (BP #4) benefited from the lack of defensive attention, pouring in 12 points in the third quarter. This helped stretch the lead to a comfortable 10 points for Bukit Panjang.
In the final quarter, Fairfield Methodist did their best to get back in the game. The duo of Ryan Lee (FMSS #7) and Jerome Tan (FMSS #14) made important shots that gave Fairfield a fighting chance. Ryan (FMSS #7) made back-to-back three-pointers, while Jerome scored the next five points to keep Fairfield within sight. However, it was all for nought as Bukit Panjang emerged 56–45 winners at the buzzer.
Bukit Panjang now face North Vista Secondary in their final group match on Thursday, April 3 at Clementi Sports Hall at 2.45pm. The outcome of the match will decide the second round seeding for both teams. Fairfield Methodist take on Geylang Methodist School on the adjacent court at the same time.
Scoring by Quarter
Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) vs Bukit Panjang Government High
1st Quarter: 13–7
2nd Quarter: 6–15 (19–22)
3rd Quarter: 12–19 (31–41)
4th Quarter: 14–15 (45–56)
Top Scorers
Fairfield Methodist
Krison Sum (#12) – 11 points
Richard Dela Cruz (#8) – 7 points
Bukit Panjang
Ang Zi Yang (#4) – 18 points
Rengarajan Vignesh (#11) – 15 points
Fairfield Methodist Roster
Bryan Ng (#4), Andre Wong (#5), Shaun Tham (#6), Ryan Lee (#7), Richard Dela Cruz (#8), Lee Lai Quan (#9), Xavier Choo (#10), Gavin Tay (#11), Krison Sum (#12), Benedict Ng (#13), Jerome Tan (#14), Hedley Ying (#15)
Bukit Panjang Roster
Ang Zi Yang (#4), Edmund Leong En Ming (#5), Lim Xiu Wei (#6), Shawn Ee Guan Aik (#7), Dini Matin B Zaini (#8), Shibukawa Youhei (#9), Tan Jia You (#10), Rengarajan Vignesh (#11), Yong Jun Wei (#12), Jerald Goh Jun Hao (#13), Low Wei Jie (#14), Tee Zhi Zhang (#15)
National B Division Boys Basketball Championships — Fixtures and Results
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