By Zachary Foo/Red Sports

Keith Png (CHS #15) hits a hook shot over Nicholas Leong (FMS #11). (Photo 1 © Zachary Foo/Red Sports)

Yio Chu Kang Sports Complex, Wednesday, July 30, 2014 — Catholic High School (CHS) emerged as zonal champions after beating Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) (FMS) 49–44 in the South Zone C Division Boys Basketball Championship. John Ang (FMS #9) and Denzel Tan (FMS #5) led all scorers with 10 points, while Fan Yao En (CHS #7) paced his team with nine points.

Both teams met earlier in the second round group stage, where Catholic High emerged as 39–35 victors.

The first quarter was a defensive battle for both teams, as Keith Png (CHS #15) and Xavier Ng (FMS #13) both did well to deter any shots at the rim. Lim Ngee Yong (CHS #10) made a layup to break the deadlock. Both Timothy Har (FMS #4) and John Ang (FMS #6) made three-pointers for Fairfield Methodist, but those would be the only points for them. Catholic High were able to pull away with the early lead through the scoring of Jay Goh (CHS #11) and Chaw Weiyang (CHS #4).

Both teams went scoreless for the first two minutes of the second quarter. Fairfield Methodist then started a 7–0 run, capped off by a transition three-pointer by Xavier Ng (FMS #13). This gave Fairfield Methodist a lead which they held for most of the quarter. Yao En (CHS #7) hit a three-pointer which gave Catholic High a four-point lead to head into the break.

Yao En’s (CHS #7) good play carried over to his defence in the third period, as he sealed his marker off on a few possessions. This allowed Keith Png (CHS #15) to roam the paint freely, nailing a couple of weak-side blocks in the period. Fairfield Methodist struggled to make their jumpers in the period, but they sunk three three-pointers which helped them keep pace with Catholic High. Denzel Tan (FMS #5) hit the most important one, beating the buzzer to keep them within four points of Catholic High.

The fourth period started on a good note for Fairfield Methodist, when Nicholas Leong (FMS #11) scored a foul-in to bring his team to within two points. However, Travis Thong (CHS #6) had other plans. The dimunitive point guard scored seven of his team’s 12 points in the final period. Denzel Tan (FMS #5) and Timothy Har (FMS #4) both made key plays down the stretch for their team, but their efforts were not enough to lift them to the title. Catholic High eventually took the 49–44 win, reclaiming the title that they lost in 2013.

Catholic High captain, Keith Png (#15), said, “It feels very good to claim the title after getting fourth place last year. We look forward to going far in nationals.”

Scoring by Quarter
Catholic High vs Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary)
1st Quarter: 11–6
2nd Quarter: 11–12 (22–18)
3rd Quarter: 15–15 (37–33)
4th Quarter: 12–11 (49–44)

Top Scorers
CHS
Fan Yao En (#7) – 9 points
Chaw Weiyang (#4) – 8 points
Travis Thong (#6) – 7 points

FMS
John Ang (#9) – 10 points
Denzel Tan (#5) – 10 points

CHS Roster
Chaw Weiyang (#4), Joshua Lim (#5), Travis Thong (#6), Fan Yao En (#7), Chan Choon Leng (#8), Evan Teh (#9), Lim Ngee Yong (#10), Jay Goh (#11), Marc Yee (#12), Chua Kaixuan (#13), Justin Lee (#14), Keith Png (#15)

FMS Roster
Timothy Har (#4), Denzel Tan (#5), Leonard Tay (#6), Leon Lai (#7), Gordon Leong (#8), John Ang (#9), Nicholas Png (#10), Nicholas Leong (#11), Ryan Mok (#12), Xavier Ng (#13), John Vanan (#14), Jin Shengde (#15)

South Zone C Division Basketball Championship — Fixtures and Results

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