Contributed by reader
Singapore Basketball Centre, Wednesday, May 13, 2009 – Home United Basketball Club's Koh Meng Koon scored 30 points to give them a 61-58 victory over Eng Tat Basketball Club as well as a spot in Sunday's National Basketball League Division 1 final against Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association.
Koh Meng Koon led the way for Home United in the first quarter, scoring the first 5 baskets for Home United and chalking up 14 of his 30 points in the first quarter alone. Home United was leading Eng Tat by 12 points but Eng Tat went on a 8-2 run to halve the lead to 6 points. Home United hit back with 2 jump shots and brought their lead back up to 10, ending the quarter 22-12.
Eng Tat hit a 3 point and 2 point jump shot to make it a 5 point game within a minute of opening the second quarter and the lead alternated between 5 and 7 points with both teams fighting hard. The crucial moment came when Eng Tat's Desmond Oh did a spin move that saw him making the basket and drawing a foul to allow a 3 point play.
Following this, Eng Tat scored from within the paint to tie the game at the 4:40 mark in the second. Eng Tat took their first lead of the game with 2:10 on the clock but was not able to have a firm grip on it and ended the first half at 36-32, 4 points behind Home United.
Hornets and the Singapore National Team coach Neo Beng Siang's half time pep talk prompted the Hornets to play the second half like possessed demons. At times they played as if they were playing for their lives. Chia Rong Lie was all fired up and made deadly jumpshots to keep Eng Tat in the game.
Good defense by Home United in the third quarter limited Eng Tat's scoring to only 6 points while the former went on a 7-2 run to bring the lead back to 10 points with 4:46 to play in the period. Home United's help defence was quick and they defended the paint well, which in turn led to fast breaks points that Eng Tat were unable to stop.
Eng Tat opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run that dropped Home United's lead to 3 but Koh Meng Koon hit a timely 3 pointer to bring it back to 6 points. Eng Tat's Michael Wong answered with a 3 point of his own to make it a 3 point game again.
Eng Tat took a 3 point lead with 3mins 30s remaining thanks to a brilliant base line jumper by ex-Home United player Ong Chee Kien but once again Koh Meng Koon stepped up for Home United, making yet another timely 3 pointer to help Home United tie the game 56-56. Eng Tat never took the lead again and Home United went on to win the game.
This win by Home United was only possible due to the on-court leadership by former national team captain and legend Chua Boon Heng who pulled all the strings on offence and playing air-tight defence on National Team Superstar Michael Wong, the unbelievable work ethic of Alan Lim who had a massive game in terms of hustle points and of course key clutch shooting by another former national team captain Koh Meng Koon at extremely crucial points in the game. What a game for the neutrals!!!!
Home United and SAFSA will square off in the final at 2030 hrs on Sunday, while Tong Whye and Eng Tat will contest the 3rd and 4th placing match at 1900 hrs.
Home United
Jersey #/Name/Pts/ Fouls
4 Mitchell 5 1
5 Alan Lim Shijie 7 2
6 Shanmugadas 2 4
7 Tan Kee Chai Jason 0 0
8 Derrick Aw Chi Tong 2 0
9 Koong Kum Hoong 3 2
10 Koh Meng Koon 30 2
11 Chua Boon Heng 2 1
12 Gary Koh Kok Siang 2 2
13 Khng En Ning
14 Wang Weizhi 4 1
15 Teo Chun Hoe 4 1
16 Tay Wee Khong
17 Victor Tan Han Qiang 0 0
18 Melvin Tan Wee Yao
Total points: 61
Total fouls: 15
Eng Tat
Jersey #/Name/Pts/Fouls
4 0 0
5 0 0
6 6 2
7 11 2
8 11 2
9 6 2
10 8 3
11 6 3
12 0 1
13
14 1 1
15 0 1
16
17 9 2
18
Total points: 58
Total fouls: 19
Joan: I’m worse??? In what way I’m worse??? I’m just stating the fact. I’m lame?? What did I say to make myself sound so lame?? PLEASE ADVISE
>>Don’t Be A Loser: -.- you’re worse & even more lame.
Give some credit to SAFSA……….
They did well to come back from 18 pts gap…..
I m surprised that Red Sports do not have the report out yet for the NBL Finals “Home vs SAF ”
How to promote Singapore bball…????
We have received no game story about the NBL final. Red Sports is a reader-generated and volunteer-driven site.
You send it, we post it.
“ball is round” this is what people always say. Nothing is definite in a ball game. It’s not lame at all…
Ahhh, what’s th point of winning Engtat when they lose to Safsa? That’s so lame. Tong whye was even worse. What’s th point of winning Home United when they lose to both Safsa and Engtat. LOLS.
sham rocks!
I felt that eng tat was very physical for the 2nd half and the referee were more towards helping eng tat then HUBC. I feel for Home United as i think lots of calls have been agaisnt them this whole season and the fact that they dun even bother argueing back shows how calm and confident they are. Also ignoring the fact that everyone wants to see them lose. Weakness of Home United is the over reliance on the Old Guard , for if they were not on the team home united would be finding themselves in DIV 2
Imagine playing there with things throwing into the court.
… Somemore throwing at the POLICE?
I hope there should be some safety measure from the offical to prevent such things from happening……
The game was an entertaining one… which Hornets did a good job to keep the game tight, Home U is just too strong.
I hope the final will be as exciting as well…..
I totally with MIB,
Refreee was bad to both sides, difference is Home Utd did not let it get to them and just continue playing basketball whilst Eng Tat just keep on argueing with ref, Its embarrasing when you see the National Coach shouting at the refree like that on top of that ppl from his team throwing bottles on the court…
Someone told me this when my team was defeated in a game sometime ago. “Do not put the blame on others when you lose in a game. You should reflect on how your own team plays!” By putting blame on others just proves that you are a sore loser who can’t accept defeat.
I think the ref did not side home..if you know basketball..you can see the call from the ref is bad for both side….maybe as a hornet’s fan you feel the ref side home U…
ref siding home u.there are some wrong called fouls against the hornets.
It will be great to have some pictures from the game….
Any chance of seeing other matches report??