Contributed by reader Jeremy Chua

Jurong West Sports Complex, Monday, April 6, 2009 – The New Town Secondary boys proved why they were West Zone champions when they beat Dunman Secondary 56-55 in a National B Division Basketball Championship match. The win was the third for New Town and meant they finished the first round unbeaten.

Dunman started the first quarter when they jumped out to an 8-0 lead. New Town point guard Lor Weng Siang (#9) got fouled and scored both free throws to make it 2-8 but Dunman extended their lead to 18-4 by the end of the first quarter.

Dunman secured their largest lead of the game at 17 points when they walked off leading 35-18 at half-time.

Things turned around for New Town in the third quarter when they went on a 14-0 run led by sharp shooters Shi Hao (#8) and Weng Siang (#9). By the time they were done, New Town trailed only by three at 32-35.

Weng Siang then hit a 3-pointer to tie the game up at 35-35 with three minutes to play in the third quarter but Dunman came back with a 10-0 run of their own. The Dunman #8 hit a 3-pointer of his own while Adam Goh (Dunman, #9) mirrored his teammate’s attempt with a 3-pointer of his own. Then the Dunman #13 scored a basket followed by a buzzer-beater from teammate #15 to ensure that Dunman went off leading 45-35 at the end of the third.

Hubert Neo (New Town, #12) started off the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer but Dunman replied through their #15 with a two-point basket. Hubert then exploded for two back-to-back 3-pointers but the Dunman #13 replied with another basket. Shi Hao (New Town, #8) then sank a long 3-pointer to bring his team to within five points of Dunman at 44-49.

With 5:55 left on the clock, the Dunman #15 dropped two points for a 52-46 lead. Teammate Adam Goh then dropped another 3-pointer to make it 46-55.

But New Town came storming back. Shi Hao (New Town, #8) replied with a 3-pointer of his own with 4:44 left to drag his team to 49-55. Then Weng Siang (New Town, #9) converted to make it 51-55, followed by another big 3-pointer by Hubert (New Town, #12) and New Town were now trailing by one point at 54-55.

Weng Siang (New Town, #9) then scored a go-ahead basket for New Town to take the lead for the first time in the game at 56-55, forcing Dunman into a timeout.

However, the Dunman players could not convert their possession and eventually fell to New Town 55-56.

Despite the loss, Dunman qualified for the next round as runners-up to New Town.