Story by REDintern Ellis Yap. Photos by Clara Yuan/Red Sports
Dunman players celebrate their victory. (Photo 1 © Clara Yuan/Red Sports)
Jurong East Sports Hall, Friday, April 17, 2015 — Dunman Secondary (DSS) upset powerhouse North Vista Secondary (NV) 76–74 in thrilling fashion to win the National B Division Boys’ Basketball Championship.
Christian Co Pepito (NV #4) finished the season with a game-high 24 points, as he went 4 of 11 from 3-point territory.
Joshua Alas (DSS #4), Xu Teck Chong (DSS #5), Tan Yi Rong (DSS #12) came up huge, dropping 17, 17 and 13 points respectively.
The ball game started with Dunman getting the first possession. After a few attempts from both sides, Tan Yi Rong (DSS #12) converted the first basket of the game. In the next play, Sim Zhen (NV #13) answered with a fanciful spin move over Tan Yi Rong (DSS #12) which sparked the supporters of North Vista.
Good fast break execution from North Vista got them a slight lead of 12–10 with four minutes to play in the first quarter. Fabian Low (NV #10) ended the quarter with a chase-down block to prevent a buzzer beater to ensure North Vista held a 17–14 lead.
Christian Pepito (NV #4) was cold from beyond the three-point arc, going just 1 of 7 from three-point range in the second quarter. His cold shooting was infectious as Sim Xuan (NV #8), Darius Ong (NV #9) could not find the net from three-point range as well.
Both teams got into foul trouble late in the third period. Dunman took advantage, feeding their centre Tan Yi Rong (DSS #12) with the ball, resulting in a few trips to the free throw line. The supporters of Dunman went wild seeing their home team in a comfortable lead with momentum shifting to their side. Dunman ended the third quarter with a 56-51 lead.
The final period was a roller coaster ride. North Vista started off with six straight points within just 50 seconds of play time in the fourth quarter. The run got the supporters wild with deafening cheers, forcing an immediate Dunman time-out.
Dunman came back still shaken up. They had absolutely no answer, turning the ball over several times. On the other end, North Vista were unstoppable, with Lim Zhi Kang (NV #12) and Christian Pepito (NV #4) going for easy baskets on consecutive fast break attempts. Gabriel Tan (NV #13) san both his free throws to cap off a 12–0 North Vista run.
Things went gloomy for Dunman and a victory for North Vista seemed inevitable. However, Dunman held on, with Xu Teck Chong (DSS #5) and Tan Yi Rong (DSS #12) dropping free throws and accomplishing three-point plays.
Shukri(DSS #9) stepped up when his team needed him most, dropping a three-pointer which got the crowd and their offense going once again. However, Christian Pepito (NV #4) replied with a three-pointer of his own.
A questionable charging foul was called on Tan Yi Rong (DSS #12) while he executed a post-up move in the paint. It was his fifth foul, ruling him out of the game.
Backup centre Raymond Chu (DSS #14) was brought in from the bench and was effective as he kept North Vista out of the paint and contributed to the score board immediately.
The turning point came for Dunman when Xu Teck Chong (DSS #5) drove to the basket and scored while earning the foul. He made the basket for a three-point play and Dunman were now trailing by just one point at 72–73.
A North Vista turnover gave Dunman a fast break with the ball ending up in the hands of Xu Teck Chong (DSS #5). His lay up attempt was a little too strong, and the ball bounced off the rim, missing the chance to give Dunman the lead.
The next possesion landed in Christian Pepito’s (NV #4) hands. He went past three defenders but could not convert as he was fouled on the way up. He converted one of his free throws to tie the game at 74 apiece with 14.6 seconds left on the clock.
A wild sequence ended up with Chua Sheng Da (DSS #11) being fouled. It was a tense moment. He dropped both of his free throws to put Dunman up 76–74. With less than 10 seconds on the clock, North Vista had a chance to tie the game, while a three-pointer would put the game on ice.
The worst scenario for North Vista unfolded when Christian Pepito’s (NV #4) pass went over the head of Sim Xuan (NV #8). On the next play after a Dunman time-out, North Vista had no choice but to foul the first person in contact with the ball for a chance to win. Xu Teck Chong (DSS #5) was sent to the free-throw line but he missed both of them and Dunman still lead by only two points at 76-74.
North Vista called an immediate time-out, and with their one last chance, North Vista inbounded the ball to Sim Xuan (NV #8). He shot from three-point range but the ball went off the rim and the clock expired to signal a Dunman championship win.
Scoring by Quarter
Dunman vs North Vista
1st Quarter: 14–17
2nd Quarter: 18–12 (32–29)
3rd Quarter: 24–22 (56–51)
4th Quarter: 20–23 (76–74)
Top Scorers
Dunman
Joshua Alas (#4) – 17 points
Tan Yi Rong (#12) – 13 points
Xu Teck Chong (#5) – 17 points
North Vista
Christian Co Pepito (#4) – 24 points (3 x 3-pointers)
Sim Zhen (#13) – 18 points
Sim Xuan (#8) – 13 points (1 x 3-pointer)
Darius Ong Yan Zhi (#9) – 9 points
Dunman Roster
Joshua Alas (#4), Xu Teck Chong (#5), Darren Ng (#6), Benedict Ong (#7), Cedric Lim (#8), Shukri (#9), Koh Jun Hao (#10), Chua Sheng Da (#11), Tan Yi Rong (#12), Gabriel Tan (#13), Raymond Chu (#14), Declan Goh (#15)
North Vista Roster
Christian Co Pepito (#4), Clement Sim Han Xiang (#5), Nicholas Tay Zhi Kang (#6), Cheng Ye Hui (#7), Sim Xuan (#8), Ong Yan Zhi Darius (#9), Low Jia Jun, Fabian (#10), Cletus Ng Kai Jun (#11), Lim Zhi Kang (#12), Sim Zhen (#13), Lim Joe Yang (#14), Tiong Chuan Yao (#15)
2015 National B Division Boys’ Basketball Championship – fixtures and results
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