Story and photos by Low Zheng Yu/Red Sports
Dillion Yap (PH #7) spins and gets free of his defender for two. He had a game high 24 points. (Photo 1 © Low Zheng Yu/Red Sports)
Jurong East Sports Hall, Monday, April 10, 2017 — Despite slow start, Presbyterian High (PH) rallied to defeat Christ Church Secondary (CC) 69-56 in the National B Division Basketball Championship.
With this win, Presbyterian High have a 6-2 win-loss record in the Nationals and have emerged as National third.
On the other hand, this loss gives Christ Church a 5-3 win-loss record and thus concludes their season as National fourth.
Presbyterian High got off to a quick start and scored five straight points to lead. However, Christ Church were unaffected by that and continued to play calmly. They were able to score nine straight transition points to get the lead back.
Dillion Yap (#7) made a three in order to cut the lead but Presbyterians High’s shooting went cold right after.
Christ Church however continued to widen the lead via their transition offense. Lin Kai Yao (CC #24) and Eugene Junior (CC #23) hit two threes as Christ Church went on a 11-0 run to end the quarter. They were up 20-8 after the first.
In the second, Presbyterian High found their groove back after making their first basket. They went on a 6-0 run to cut the lead down to just six. As both teams continued to trade baskets, Tang Kah Wai (PH #10) made a three to help cut the lead to just three. Dillion Yap (PH #7) added to that by making a free-throw to cut the lead farther.
However, Jonathan Gue (CC #34) got free of his defender to make an open under-basket to end the first half. Christ Church were up 28-24.
Jonathan Gue (CC #24) continued to dominate in the post, using his size to make two more baskets to bring the lead up to eight. However, Presbyterian High quickly got used to his play style and were able to lock him down to prevent him from scoring farther.
Presbyterian High started working harder on their full-court press defense. They were able to force a few turnovers and converted on the transition baskets to cut the lead Christ Church had to two. It was a see-saw battle between the two teams as they traded baskets with neither team wanting to give in.
They were tied at 45 at the end of the third.
Aaron Chaw (PH #26) made a three to start the fourth. Their full-court press were executed to perfection as they continued to rack up steals and convert on their fast-break opportunities. This boosted Presbyterian High’s morale and confidence. Being a team that relied on their morale for the game, these steals and baskets were able to propel Presbyterian High to work harder. They continued to play good defense to rack up steals.
While Christ Church tried to fight back, the defense of Presbyterian High was too much for them to handle. They could only watch as Presbyterian High’s lead continued to increase.
Presbyterian High put the pedal to the metal and never looked back. They outscored Christ Church 24-11 in the fourth and took the game 69-56 to emerge as National third.
Captain Dillion Yap (PH #7) of Presbyterian High said, “I really would like to thank my teammates a lot. It is because of them that we are here today. I would like to thank them for their commitment to the team and game. We have worked hard and trained hard together to play together as a team and become who we are today. To the eight to nine of you who are staying for next year, I wish you all the best. Hopefully you will get the National Champion that we didn’t get this year.”
Captain Oscar Ong (CC #28) of Christ Church said, “It has been a very memorable journey with my teammates since sec one. Through all the training, we have forged friendships that cannot be broken. Special thanks to Eugene for leading us as our senior since sec one. I know that the season may have ended, but the friendship between us would never end. I also want to thank coach and teachers for showing their unconditional support throughout this memorable journey. For my juniors, I hope you break the record and get into National Finals. You must have perseverance, dedication and commitment to the team. Start unknown, finish unforgettable.”
Scoring by Quarter
Presbyterian High vs Christ Church
1st Q: 8-20
2nd Q: 16-8 (24-28)
3rd Q: 21-17 (45-45)
4th Q: 24-11 (69-56)
Top Scorers
Presbyterian High
Dillion Yap (#7) – 24 pts
Aaron Chaw (#26) – 20 pts
Christ Church
Eugene Junior (#23) – 16 pts
Pan Ming Hui (#22) – 10 pts
Presbyterian High Roster
Ivan Kau (#4), Kovan Toh (#5), Dillion Yap (#7), Barry Yeong (#9), Tang Kah Wai (#10), Foo Yong Ming (#12), Constantin Lim (#13), Jaron Ng (#15), Kievan Chang (#16), Andy Tan (#24), Aaron Chaw (#26), Jerel Tan (#34)
Christ Church Roster
Wong Yi Dian (#20), Jason Soh (#21), Pan Ming Hui (#22), Eugene Junior (#23), Lin Kai Yao (#24), Oscar Ong (#28), Lee Looi Yen (#29), Lee De En (#30), Rico Liu (#31), Ernest Kwek (#32), Yeo Yuan Jun (#33), Jonathan Gue (#34)
More photos next page
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