Story by Lim Yi Fei/Red Sports. Photos by Lee Jian Wei/Red Sports.

Mabel Ong (#10) of Yishun Town Secondary goes for a lay-up. (Photo 1 © Lee Jian Wei/Red Sports)

OCBC Arena, Thursday, March 19, 2018 — Steady scoring and consistent pressure helped Yishun Town Secondary (YTS) crush Guangyang Secondary (GYS) 56–9 in round one of the National B Division Girls’ Basketball Championship.

Nur Afiyah (YTS #5) had a game-high 13 points while teammate Xie Muqi (YTS #11) had 11. Chia Jia En (GYS #10), Jasmin Pun (GYS #23), Valerie Sng (GYS #25) and Toh Wang Xin (GYS #36) contributed two points each for Guangyang.

As soon as the ball was tipped, Yishun Town got off to a quick start by dishing to their shooters for wide-open shots. Coupled with the camaraderie of sisters Nur Afiyah (YTS #5) and Nur Afifah (YTS #8), Yishun Town went coast to coast with pick and rolls to pull clear of their opponents.

Guangyang, though small in stature, hustled hard for every loose ball.

However, Yishun Town did not give Guangyang any chances and used a two-on-one defence to deter them, taking a 20–0 lead in the first quarter.

Yishun Town guarded their opponents tightly, courtesy of a full-court press, and Guangyang found themselves continuously trapped in tight spaces.

Guangyang’s turnovers only added to their woes as Yishun Town further widened the lead with an 18–0 run by half-time.

Yishun Town was constantly pressuring their opponents but Guangyang never showed signs of giving up. They forced the issue but their shots were still not falling.

By the end of the third, the girls in white only managed two points compared to their opponents’ staggering 50 points.

With the herculean task of catching up, Guangyang could not reduce the deficit and the game ended with Yishun Town victorious with a 56–9 scoreline.

Nur Afiyah (YTS #5) said: “Our passing and contact was good today.”

Her sister, Nur Afifah (YTS #8) added that their communication could have been better.

“We hope that we play to this standard for every game and play with no regrets,” she commented.

Guangyang’s captain, Jasmin Pun (GYS #23) said: “Even though we were losing, we still gave our best. I am very proud of them. They did their best.

“We are weaker in a lot of areas but we can improve on our defence. We lost because our opponents kept blowing by us and we did not do well on defence.”

With this win, Yishun Town now hold a 1–0 win-loss record in the nationals and will play Nanyang Girls next. Guangyang drops to a 0–1 win-loss record.

Scoring by Quarter
Yishun Town vs Guangyang
1st Q: 20–0
2nd Q: 18–0 (38–0)
3rd Q: 12–2 (50–2)
4th Q: 6–7 (56–9)

Top Scorers
Yishun Town
Nur Afiyah Bte Misban (#5) — 13 pts
Xie Muqi (#11) — 11 pts

Guangyang
Chia Jia En (#10) — 2 pts
Jasmin Pun (#23) — 2 pts
Valerie Sng (#25) — 2 pts
Toh Wang Xin (#36) — 2 pts

Yishun Town Roster
Nur Afiyah Bte Misban (#5), Gin Chong Manyun (#7), Nur Afifah Bte Misban (#8), Mabel Ong (#10), Xie Muqi (#11), Jennifer Chue (#12), Regina Kaw (#13), Cynthia Chin (#15), Li Zixi (#16) Nur Nadia Lim (#17) Marilyn Goh (#21), Chua Ting En (#78)

Guangyang Roster
Jastena Gurung (#2), Janelle Lim (#8), Grace Lim (#9) ,Chia Jie En (#10), Tan Ying Ying (#11), Adeline Ee (#12), Veronica Tan (#20), Jasmin Pun (#23), Valerie Sng (#25), Eksa Mabo (#30), Dursan Rai (#31), Toh Wang Xin (#36)

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