Tong Whye clinch U19 boys basketball title with narrow win over Minyi (and other results)

Singapore Basketball Centre, Sunday, July 11, 2010 — It all came down to this final game.

The topsy-turvy nature of the qualifying matches for the U19 boys basketball competition meant that any of the top four teams still had a shot at the title, depending on the results of the final day.

Minyi, as defending champions, were certainly the team to beat with their only blemish a previous 61-73 loss to Tagawa. Yet Tong Whye, with an earlier win over Tagawa, had only to beat Minyi to clinch the title.

Tong Whye started strongly with a 12-10 opening quarter lead and extended it to 33-29 at half-time. Centre Chong Ming Xuan was the standout performer for Tong Whye, leading all scores with 26 points.

But Minyi were not to be outdone, staging a third quarter 20-19 comeback which set the stage for a tense fourth quarter.

The game hung on the balance throughout the fourth until a Minyi player lost his composure and argued with the referee. He earned a technical foul as a result and Minyi could not overcome their first-half deficit in the end. A 3-point attempt to tie the game at the final buzzer by a Minyi player missed.

Tong Whye Physical Association won the game 76-73 and the championship as a result, with Tagawa coming in second due to a comfortable 66-47 win over Whye Nam Sports Association. With the loss, Minyi were relegated to third position while Whye Nam came in fourth.

Singapore Schools clinched the U17 basketball title in convincing fashion with an 87-51 romp over Tagawa Blue. Tong Whye finished third with a close 57-52 win over Siglap Youth in the third /fourth placing match.

Scoring by Quarters
Minyi v Tong Whye
1st Q: 10-12
2nd Q: 19-21
3rd Q: 20-19
4th Q: 24-24

Top Scorers
Tong Whye
Chong Ming Xuan – 26 points
Van Damme – 24 points
Edwin – 9 points

For full fixtures and results, go to http://basketball.redsports.sg/

Second Round Boys (U17 and U19) Fixtures (correct at time of posting)