Chee Khan Liang’s late three-pointers win it for Anglican High in B Division quarter-final

By Koh Yizhe/Red Sports

Jurong West Sports Hall, Friday, April 17, 2009 - Uno, dos, tres. Not one, not two, but three huge three-pointers from Chee Khan Liang with two minutes remaining turned the match on its head as Anglican High edged out Dunman Secondary 47-45 for their second win in the second round of the National boys’ B Division Basketball Championship.

Both teams matched each other point for point and traded the lead throughout the match, but it was Dunman that held a big nine-point lead in the fourth quarter. However, the first of Khan Liang's three-pointers made it 43-49 to keep Anglican High within striking distance.

Then Chee Khan Liang (Anglican High, #7) scored his second three-pointer with 1.30 minutes on the clock which brought his side to within one.

After Tan Jun Wei (Anglican High, #8) gave Anglican High a brief lead with a nice layup, Adam Goh snatched it right back with a brilliant drive to the basket to give his team a 45-44 lead with exactly one minute remaining. But with 47 seconds on the clock, hero Chee Khan Liang downed his final three-pointer that gave Anglican High the match.

Both teams started with an explosive pace as they pushed for an early lead. As a result, Anglican High and Dunman traded points and after six minutes, both teams were glued together at 6-6. Adam Goh (Dunman, #9) was the key player of his team as his layups gave his side a slim 12-11 lead at the first interval.

Both defenses held strong throughout the second quarter as both sides only managed 12 points between them. Anglican High had the better of the chances, but poor finishing was their undoing. Dunman, by contrast, took their chances as they extended their lead to 20-15 at half-time.

After playing catch-up the throughout the first half, East Zone champions Anglican High came back with a vengeance in the third. Chee Khan Liang got things going for them with a layup, and teammate Sean (Anglican High, #10) followed this with a crucial three-pointer to level things once again at 20-20.

With the scores all square, Anglican High pushed for the lead and were rewarded when Chi Min (Anglican High, #13) was fouled. He missed the first free throw, but his second was on the mark, giving Anglican High a one-point 21-20 lead.

It didn't last long though, as Andy Sim (Dunman, #13) gave his side the lead again with a layup. Both teams then continued to trade points.

Towards the end of the quarter, the Dunman defense stood strong, making it hard for their opponents to score as they took a comfortable 32-28 lead into the final ten minutes.

The start of the fourth belonged to Dunman as they followed where they left off in the third. Adam Goh soon established a 37-30 lead for his team with a beautiful spin layup. Adam, with teammates Andy (Dunman, #13) and Ding Loon (Dunman, #15) were key contributors throughout the match for Dunman and shared the points between them in the fourth quarter.

But all three of them were unable to do anything as Chee Khan Liang (Anglican High, #7) took over with his 3-point shooting display late in the match. Despite a layup from Adam with one minute remaining and a last gasp attempt from half-court, Khan Liang’s three 3-pointers in a few short minutes gave Anglican High the game 47-45.

"It was a hard fight and we definitely had to step up our game as it was really evenly-matched throughout. In each match we try our best and fortunately for us, we won this one thanks to Chee Khan Liang and the three-pointers in the fourth. Dunman, of course, played well but I think they got tired towards the end," said Anglican High Captain Ho Hong Kai.

When asked who they wanted to play in the semi-final, he commented, "New Town would be nice! But at this stage all the teams are tough so it doesn’t make a big difference."

Top scorers
Ding Loon (Dunman, #15) – 14 points
Chee Khan Liang (Anglican High, #7) – 13 points
Sean (Anglican High, #10) – 9 points

See final minutes highlights of the game:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyQGctBFnFU