Story by REDintern Samantha Yom. Photos by Dylan Chua/Red Sports.

Lydia Ang (NV #7) drives the ball against Christ Church Secondary. She played a crucial role in securing victory for her team. (Photo 1 © Dylan Chua/Red Sports)

Lydia Ang (NV #7) drives the ball against Christ Church Secondary. She played a crucial role in securing victory for her team. (Photo 1 © Dylan Chua/Red Sports)

Singapore Basketball Centre, Monday, February 12, 2018 — Teamwork was the determining factor in North Vista Secondary’s (NV) 44–19 victory over Christ Church Secondary (CHR) in the second round of the North Zone B Division Girls’ Basketball Championship.

With another win under their belt, North Vista’s 3–0 win-loss record places them at the top of their group, securing themselves a berth in the semi-finals. Christ Church’s 1–2 win-loss record spells the end of their quest for a spot on the national stage.

The start of the first quarter saw both teams searching for their rhythm, with neither sides making any baskets. But North Vista’s sturdy defence soon kicked in and Christ Church met with scoring trouble in the frontcourt. In return, Christ Church responded with man-to-man defence, though their efforts to thwart North Vista’s scoring attempts were seemingly futile due to the latter’s height advantage.

A field goal by Mildred Por (CHR #22) and two by top scorer Chiew Sheng Xuan (CHR #23, game-high of nine points) had initially kept Christ Church within striking distance of their opponents. However, two consecutive baskets in the last minute by North Vista’s top scorer Umairah (NV #12, 8 points) propelled the girls in black to a six-point lead.

North Vista ended the first quarter with a 12–6 scoreline and never looked back. Their team’s cohesion shone through in the second quarter and their thoughtful, efficient passing ensured that they were always a step ahead of their rivals.

On the other hand, Christ Church struggled to get their ball from coast to coast with passing that often went awry. Undeterred, Christ Church continued with their aggressive defence throughout, ending the second quarter with a 5–7 scoreline and a deficit of just two points.

North Vista’s Lydia Ang (NV #7), who is affectionately called “the boss” and “our advisor” by her teammates for her basketball prowess, stole the limelight in the last two quarters. Her awareness and deft control of the ball meant that she was able to swiftly manoeuvre around the defence and create scoring opportunities for her teammates.

Furthermore, the fact that the top five North Vista scorers were almost equally responsible for 36 of North Vista’s 44 points was a testament to their solid teamwork and all-rounded ability.

Despite the good showing by North Vista, Lydia was surprisingly critical about their performance.

“I think my team didn’t play well today because there were a lot of missed passes and a lot of miscommunication,” she said.

“There were times where my teammates and I clashed on court, which is something we can improve on,” she added, looking forward to their next appearance in the semi-finals.

Scoring by Quarter
Christ Church vs North Vista
1st Quarter: 6–12
2nd Quarter: 4–7 (10–19)
3rd Quarter: 5–9 (15–28)
4th Quarter: 4–16 (19–44)

Top Scorers
Christ Church
Chiew Sheng Xuan (#23) — 9 points

North Vista
Kwee Jia Qi Joli (#5) — 8 points
Ros Ellisyah Nur Umairah Binte Mohamed Aminudin (#12) — 8 points

Christ Church Roster
Shannevie Teo Lim Li (#20), Peggy Goh Kee Boon (#21), Por Siying Mildred (#22), Chiew Sheng Xuan (#23), Sharifah Fahimah Bte Syed L A (#24), Wong Wei Li (#25), Nyo Than Tar Tun @ Helen Tun (#26), Audy Qistina Al-Hadi (#27), Siti Mardiya Bte Hassan (#28), Lim Shi En (#29), Ng Zi Xuan (#32), Leia Kiu Li En

North Vista Roster
Nurul Haziqah (#0), Lim En Tong (#2), Kweh Jia Qi Joli (#5), Lee Lin Xuan (#6), Ang Zi Yi Lydia (#7), Long Yan Xi (#8), Lum Yi En Charis (#9), Loh Hui Ting Shanice (#10), Ros Ellisyah Nur Umairah Binte Mohamed Aminudin (#12), Hazirah Bte Arifin (#14), Grace Suganya D/O Arokiaraj (#28), Wong Jasmine (#35)

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