Story By Zachary Foo/Red Sports. Photos by REDintern Matthew Lau
Rhames Ng (Zheng Hua #11) attempts to block as Eugene Ng (Fajar #8) puts up a shot attempt. (Photo 1 © REDintern Matthew Lau)
Clementi Sports Hall, Friday, February 14, 2014 — A strong third-quarter showing helped Fajar Secondary (FSS) take down Zhenghua Secondary (ZHS) 38–22 in the first round of the West Zone B Division Boys Basketball Championship. Seet Zhi Yun (FSS #5) led all scorers, scoring 13 points in the game. Chong Fong Yan (ZHS #15) had 9 points to lead his team in scoring.
Both teams were out of contention for the second round, hence the match was a rubber, with only pride at stake. Fajar finished their season with a 1–4 win-loss record, while Zhenghua ended theirs without a win.
Jeron Goh (FSS #7) put Fajar up 4–0 early on. He had two steals on consecutive possessions, racing down the court on the other end for easy layups. Zhenghua were struggling at the rim, unable to score the ball. They got by on a few lucky possessions, netting them a 7–6 lead at the end of the quarter.
The second quarter was ugly for Zhenghua, as they shot quite a lot of air balls. Despite this, the game was close and the lead changed hands a couple of times. A 3-pointer by Jun Hao (FSS #6) gave Fajar some breathing space, allowing them to head into the half up 15–9.
Fajar broke the game wide open in the third quarter. Their tenacious half court defence stifled Zhenghua, netting them a lot of steals. Jeron (FSS #7) was a happy beneficiary, accounting for at least five steals for his team. He showcased good communication with Zhi Yun (FSS #5), allowing them to score easily. Zhi Yun (FSS #5) was able to score 13 consecutive points in the quarter as a result of this.
The final quarter saw Zhenghua continue their offensive struggles. They were forcing shots up at every chance, but the ball kept rimming out. Fajar were able to get by with fundamental defence, holding on until time ran out, securing the 38–22 win.
Fajar vice-captain, Jeron Goh (#7), said, “We played better as compared to our previous game. Our passing, communication between players and rebounding all showed improvements. For next season, we have to train more and communicate better within the team. We aim to make the second round next year.”
Scoring by Quarter
Fajar Secondary vs Zhenghua Secondary
1st Quarter: 6–7
2nd Quarter: 9–2 (15–9)
3rd Quarter: 17–8 (32–17)
4th Quarter: 5–6 (37–23)
Top Scorers
Fajar Secondary
Seet Zhi Yun (#5) – 13 points
Zhenghua Secondary
Chong Fong Yan (#15) – 9 points
Fajar Secondary Roster
Lim Zhao Heng (#4), Seet Zhi Yun (#5), Chong Jun Hao (#6), Jeron Goh Yihan (#7), Eugene Ng Yew Chuan (#8), Liu Kang Javier (#9), Neo Yi (#10), Aldrich Change Ru Loong (#11), Nillo Jomari Ivan Singson (#12), Heng Jing Ho Ryan (#13), Chionh Ze Xing (#14), Kokulananthan S/O Mohan (#15)
Zhenghua Secondary Roster
Toh Jia Min (#4), Ng Yan Zhang Kenric (#5), Low Qi Hui (#6), Low Qi Hui (#7), Toh Yoong Han (#8), Teo Kai Jie (#9), Lim Tze Jin (#10), Rhames Ng San Jun (#11), Lin Zhi Peng (#12), Kai Alexander Van Adrichem B (#13), Chu Jun An Theron (#14), Chong Fong Yan (#15)
More photos next page
#7 of Zhenghua is called Low Qi Hui
Thanks for the name update.