By Zachary Foo/Red Sports

Muhammad Khairul (HSS #6) goes for the finger roll amongst a sea of Whitley players. (Photo 1 © Zachary Foo/Red Sports)

PESEB, Thursday, July 10, 2014 — Henderson Secondary (HSS) secured their second-round qualification with a 65–53 win over Whitley Secondary (WSS) in the first round of the South Zone C Division Boys Basketball Championship. Bryan Yap (HSS #7) and Muhammad Khairul (HSS #6) both combined for 44 points. Chang Zi Jie (WSS #10) dropped 24 points in a losing effort.

Henderson came into the game needing to win by at least 11 points to qualify for the second round. They survived both the ejection of their leading scorer and coach in the final quarter to secure the 12-point win.

Henderson, Whitley and Yuying Secondary finished joint-top of Group E with 3–1 win-loss records. However, only Henderson and Yuying qualified for the second round based on point differentials.

Henderson raced out to a large lead early in the first quarter. They were led by the scoring of Bryan Yap (HSS #7), as he was unstoppable on drives to the rim. He scored 11 points in the period. Henderson also had the advantage of the boards, as they used their size to box out the smaller Whitley players. This gave Henderson a 15–6 lead at the end of the period.

Henderson continued their good vein of form in the second period. Whitley were having trouble stopping both Bryan Yap (HSS #7) and Muhammad Khairul (HSS #6). Both players used their speed and length to evade their markers, giving them easy shot attempts. This allowed Henderson to hold on to an 18–point lead at the half.

The third quarter saw Whitley fight their way back into the game. Taking advantage of turnovers from Henderson players, they went on a 8–0 run to trim the lead. Kenneth Ang (WSS #15) and Chang Zi Jie (WSS #10) were both instrumental in orchestrating their team’s comeback. The momentum lay with Whitley heading into the final period.

Henderson suffered a blip in the final quarter that nearly thwarted their chances of qualification. Bryan Yap (HSS #7) was awarded two technical fouls that sent him out of the game. This hampered Henderson as they lost their leading scorer in the game. Muhammad Khairul (HSS #6) stepped up in Bryan’s (HSS #7) absence, as he scored 10 points in the final period. Henderson eventually ended the game with a 65–53 win, which was enough for them to book a place in the second round.

Henderson captain, Bryan Yap (#7), said, “It was great today. Feels good to qualify. We played better today. We had some problems in the last quarter but we were still able to overcome them. Everyone gave their best today and we can see that they really wanted to go to the second round. I hope that we can win every game in the second round and everyone will improve their individual skills.”

Scoring by Quarter
Henderson Secondary vs Whitley Secondary
1st Quarter: 15–6
2nd Quarter: 15–6 (30–12)
3rd Quarter: 14–19 (44–31)
4th Quarter: 21–22 (65–53)

Top Scorers
HSS
Bryan Yap (#7) – 25 points
Muhammad Khairul (#6) – 19 points

WSS
Chang Zi Jie (#10) – 24 points

HSS Roster
Hwa Jing (#4), Polvin Teo (#5), Muhammad Khairul (#6), Bryan Yap (#7), Victor Tan (#8), Lim Minghao (#9), Lim Shangchun (#10), Elton Go (#11), Andy Seo Seung Hwan(#12), Myo Thant Aung (#13), Javier Liu (#14), Adrian Then (#15)

WSS Roster
Yang Jaehyuk (#4), Eugene Sim (#5), Glenn Neo (#6), Ervin Ang (#7), Vito Ng (#8), Beldric Su (#9), Chang Zi Jie (#10), Brian Lim (#11), Edwin Darmadi (#12), Leonard See (#13), Maverick Francis Odero Angeles (#14), Kenneth Ang (#15)

South Zone C Division Basketball Championship — Fixtures and Results

More photos next page