Story By Zachary Foo/Red Sports. Photos by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports
Darren Leung (River Valley #8) goes up for the layup against Jurongville. (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)
Clementi Sports Hall, Wednesday, February 19, 2014 — River Valley High defeated Jurongville Secondary 50–33 in the second round of the West Zone B Division Basketball Championship.
Darren Leung (River Valley #8) led all scorers with 17 points, while Alwin Koh (Jurongville #4) had 11 points to lead his team.
The win puts River Valley at the top of Group Y with a 2–0 win–loss record. They beat Bukit Batok Secondary in their previous game.
The towering figure of Lim Bak Hin (#14) gave River Valley an advantage down low in the post. He was able to use his height to alter Jurongville shots as well as to secure rebounds. Offensively, River Valley did well to get into the paint but were unable to convert their underbaskets. Jurongville showed good hustle throughout the quarter. Their scrappy play helped them to overcome their deficiencies in the front court and aided them in grabbing the early lead. They ended the quarter up 11–6.
River Valley switched to a 2-3 zonal defence in the second quarter, in a bid to force Jurongville into long jumpshots. This proved successful as their defenders were quick to close out on open Jurongville shooters, forcing a few turnovers. River Valley seized the chance to make a run, going 10–0 to take the lead. The halftime break saw River Valley up 22–17.
The third quarter saw Jurongville struggling on both ends of the court. They could not stop River Valley on defence, yielding open jumpers throughout the quarter. Offensively, they suffered a horrible drought as they were unable to penetrate the paint or make their jumpers. River Valley turned up their defensive intensity, forcing turnovers from Jurongville.
River Valley slowly pulled away in the final quarter through excellent play from Darren (#8) and Cai Yu Han (#11). Both players formed a solid backcourt that facilited the offence. They were also a factor defensively, forcing turnovers from Jurongville. Jurongville had no answer, as the ball stayed in their half for the majority of the quarter. River Valley came away with the 50–33 win, a good morale booster for the team as they take on Bukit Panjang Government High in their next game.
River Valley captain, Darren Leung (#8), said, “I think we did not play well the first two quarters, but we managed to pull out the win. We did well to box out and rebound, which helped to extend the lead. A few of our teammates got injured in this game, so we have to be more careful in the next game. We are currently 2–0 in the group. However, we face Bukit Panjang in our next game, so we have to do our best.”
Scoring by Quarter
Jurongville Secondary vs River Valley High School
1st Quarter: 11–6
2nd Quarter: 6–16 (17–22)
3rd Quarter: 6–11 (23–33)
4th Quarter: 10–17 (33–50)
Top Scorers
Jurongville
Alwin Koh (#4) – 10 points
River Valley
Darren Leung (#8) – 17 points
Jurongville Roster
Alwin Koh (#4), Chin Chang An (#5), Shawn Tan (#6), Liew Yue Jun (#7), Yap Kai Xuan (#8), Xing Han (#9), Zen (#10), Terrence Lim (#11), Hartley Muze (#12), Yong Kang (#13), Jun Wei (#14), Bernard Yong (#15)
River Valley Roster
Jacob Tan (#4), Daniel Tan (#5), Leonard Lau (#6), Oh Wei Xuan (#7), Darren Leung (#8), Chen Jian Yu (#9), Chew Song Yu (#10), Cai Yu Han (#11), Sean Low (#12), Guo Jun (#13), Lim Bak Hin (#14), Sean Peh (#15)
More photos next page
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