Story by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports. Photos by Jerald Ang/Red Sports
Nio Yuan Ming (#32) of SMU looks to pass the ball to a teammate. The forward scored a game-high 19 points in the victory. (Photo 1 © Jerald Ang/Red Sports)
National University of Singapore, Wednesday, September 9, 2015 — With the addition of Peter Soo (#4) and Nio Yuan Ming (#32), an upgraded Singapore Management University (SMU) is once again in contention for the Institute-Varsity-Polytechnic (IVP) Games, finishing third in the Singapore University Games (SUniG) men’s basketball championship with a 3-2 win-loss record.
Coupled with excellent defending, they earned a significant 60-57 win over Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in their final game, and knocked the latter out of qualification for the upcoming IVP Games.
“Our intensity was there, which we kept going from the start till the end,” said SMU captain Aloysius Chua (#3).
“I think that our main advantage over them today was our defence, along with our rebounds. We stepped up on our defence today and really kept Russel, who was dominating in the paint, out of the box.
“NTU fought very hard, but I think our tenacity helped us pull through to hold on to the lead.”
Despite the addition of Jabez Su (#4) and Russel Low (#15), NTU were unable to bounce back from their previous defeats to SIM and NUS, and have suffered a disappointing third straight loss.
SMU’s forward pack of Soo (#4) and Nio (#32) were effective in the opening half, scoring 16 of their team’s 20 total points in the frame. They eventually finished with 19 and 16 points respectively.
Defensively, they proved a handful for their former Hwa Chong Institution teammates, Su (#4) and Low (#15), limiting them to three and two points in the half respectively.
However, after the break, it was a different story.
Su (#4) and Low (#15) stepped up on the offensive end in the second half, scoring 15 and 11 points respectively, but it was not enough.
SMU had a response in Koh Kwee Kiat (#8) and Ang Wei Xian (#12), who stepped up alongside Soo (#4) and Nio (#32), contributing on both ends with their rebounding. Their offensive boards gave SMU several opportunities to maintain the lead.
NTU have two games remaining and will face Singapore University of Technology and Design in their next game on Friday, September 11, at 8.30 p.m.
Score by quarter
SMU vs NTU
1st quarter: 11-10
2nd quarter: 9-9 (20-19)
3rd quarter: 15-12 (35-31)
4th quarter: 25-26 (60-57)
Top scorers
SMU
Nio Yuan Ming (#32) – 19 points (3 x 3-pointers)
Peter Soo Zheng Yi (#4) – 16 points
Koh Kwee Kiat (#8) – 10 points
NTU
Jabez Su Ming Rong (#4) – 18 points
Russel Low (#15) – 13 points
SMU Roster
Ryan Wong Wei Lin (#0), Chew Xuan Zheng (#2), Aloysius Chua Xue Rui (#3), Peter Soo Zheng Yi (#4), Wong Yusheng (#5), Jhohan Saputra (#7), Koh Kwee Kiat (#8), Wang Zhaowei (#9), Dominic Lim Weijie (#10), Benjamin Louis Lim Jun Liang (#11), Ang Wei Xian (#12), Mark Lim Jin Yang (#13), Tan Kok Siong (#25), Nio Yuan Ming (#32), Teo Ni Wen (#99)
NTU Roster
Bon Yi Cheng (#2), Jabez Su Ming Rong (#4), Tan Bo Yao (#5), Kan Wei Huat (#8), Ng Yi Chun (#9), Kua Hiong Yong (#10), Ng Yongwen (#12), Tan Zhi Sen (#14), Russel Low (#15), Zee Kin Meng Andrew (#21), Teo Liang Kai (#27), Hoo Kang, Sean (#30), Tok Jian Sheng (#31), Chen Jia Hong (#33), Tan Yu Shu Gareth (#45)
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