RGS beat Unity to win National Championship title

BASKETBALL

National ‘C’ Division Championship 2007 Final
Raffles Girls’ School vs Unity Secondary School
Friday, 24 August 2007 at Toa Payoh Sports Hall

Story by Leslie Tan. © Red Sports/soulbreath pictures Pictures by Red Sports volunteer Goh Shao Wei. Thanks.

Raffles Girls’ School beat Unity 64-49 to win the National Basketball Championship title this afternoon. RGS put on a dominating display with a game total of 56 offensive and defensive rebounds.

Olivia Lee of Unity (in black) attempts a layup despite the attention of Sharlene Quek Yi Ning of RGS. © Goh Shao Wei

RGS led the way for most of the first quarter but kept turning the ball over to Unity unnecessarily. The turnovers gave Unity the chance to put points on the board from six different players and they finished the first quarter in the lead at 17-15.

In the second quarter, Unity stretched their lead further to five points. RGS continued to struggle, scoring their first two points of the quarter only at the 7 minute mark on the clock. However, RGS managed to get their shooting going and the five-point gap became a 26-26 score with 2.02 left on the clock. Unity then replied immediately. Showing good movement that fooled RGS, Siti Amnah (#6) found herself completely unmarked under the RGS basket to receive a throw-in and easily popped in a two. Then Siti made another basket on a layup and got a foul for a 3-point opportunity but she missed the free throw. In a blink, Unity were now back in front by four at 32-28. RGS struggled with their free throws, sinking only six out of 24 free throws up to the end of the second quarter, and that cost them in points.

MVP Hannah Ng of RGS goes for a layup. She had a team-high 23 points. © Goh Shao Wei

After the break, both teams went at it but neither managed to score any points for the first two and a half minutes after the restart. RGS then managed to cause the first damage of the third quarter when MVP Hannah Ng (#9) scored four straight unanswered points. The game was now tied again at 32-32. Then RGS began to shut down Unity while scoring five more points without reply for a 37-32 lead with six minutes to go in the third. Unity then had a huge psychological lift when Chia Bi Ru (#12) of Unity raised huge cheers from her supporters with two straight 3-pointers at the five-minute mark to reduce the deficit and make it a 39-41 game. The two teams then went back to attacking each other without scoring until 1.28 on the clock when RGS got going again and managed to score four points to make it 45-41, which was how the third quarter ended.

At the start of the fourth, Chia Bi Ru again tried a 3-pointer. The ball bounced around on the inside of the rim but just would not go in, leaving Bi Ru shaking her head. Unity got to within two points of RGS at the 7.50 mark but RGS made it a four-point lead again at 49-45 with six minutes to go. Unity’s shooting started to desert them in the fourth and they started to lose out on rebounds to RGS because of size and height. While they struggled to score, RGS continued to pile on the points and misery with steals and breakaways. Unity fought on to the end but time ran out for them and RGS clinched the championship title with a final score of 64-49.

RGS (13-2):

Anna Tay (#4)
Adeline Lim (#5)
Tham Yan Ping (#6)
Vivien Cheok (#7)
Radhakrishnan Vidya (#8)
Hannah Ng (#9) capt
Zhou Ye Lin (#10)
Deanna Ng (#11)
Iliana Ishak (#12)
Stephanie Siow (#13)
Angie Tay (#14)
Sharlene Quek Yi Ning (#15)

Teacher-in-charge: Mr Lim Geok Tuan
Coach: Mr Ang Kuang Ngee

Unity (win-loss record unknown):

Liow Hui Ling (#4)
Marilyn Neo (#5)
Siti Amnah Senen (#6)
Olivia Lee (#7)
Yelicia Yeo (#8)
Loh Yan Han (#9)
Mo Xiao Fei (#10)
Nanette Pang (#11)
Chia Bi Ru (#12)
Chia Li Shan (#13)
Au Li Jun (#14)
Ramona Wong (#15)

Teacher-in-charge: Mr Dimus Choong
Coach: Mr Ng Choon Hong

Match statistics:

1st quarter: RGS 15-17 Unity
2nd: 13-15
3rd:17-9
4th: 19-7

Scorers:

RGS

Anna Tay (#4) – 5 pts (one 3-pointer)
Tham Yan Ping (#6) – 8 pts
Vivien Cheok (#7) – 5 pts
Radhakrishnan Vidya (#8) – 2 pts
Hannah Ng (#9) – 23 pts
Deanna Ng (#11) – 17 pts
Stephanie Siow (#13) – 2 pts
Sharlene Quek Yi Ning (#15) – 4 pts

Unity

Marilyn Neo (#5) – 8 pts
Siti Amnah Senen (#6) – 8 pts
Olivia Lee (#7) – 5 pts
Nanette Pang (#11) – 4 pts
Chia Bi Ru (#12) – 20 pts (three 3-pointers)
Au Li Jun (#14) – 5 pts
Ramona Wong (#15)

Free throw shooting:

RGS

Tham Yan Ping (#6) – shot 2 out of 8
Vivien Cheok (#7) – 1 out of 4
Hannah Ng (#9) – 1 out of 6
Zhou Ye Lin (#10) – 0 out of 2
Deanna Ng (#11) – 5 out of 11
Stephanie Siow (#13) – 0 out of 4
Sharlene Quek Yi Ning (#15) – 2 out of 4

RGS team shooting: 11 out of 39

Unity

Siti Amnah Senen (#6) – 0 out of 1
Olivia Lee (#7) – 3 out of 7
Au Li Jun (#14) – 1 out of 4
Ramona Wong (#15) – 0 out of 3

Unity team shooting: 4 out of 15

Turnovers:

RGS committed 7 turnovers
Unity committed 8 turnovers