Contributed by reader.

Kampong Ubi Community Centre, Thursday, June 18, 2009 – Both Whye Nam and Paya Lebar came into this crucial Boys Under-17 Basketball Youth Cup decider, where the winner would most likely advance to the second round. Both teams had previously lost to Tong Whye by a small margin, in a game with disputable calls by the referees.

#5 from Whye Nam won the tip-off, but immediately committed a turnover, from which a Paya Lebar player converted a fast-break to seize the initiative. However, this was the only lead they could muster throughout the match. Whye Nam responded with 3-pointers from Weihao and his teammates to take the game by its horns.

Coupled with their aggressive defence, Paya Lebar had no way through Whye Nam’s formidable defence, and was gasping for thin air for most of the first half. Whye Nam eventually finished the half with a commanding lead of close to 30 points.

Paya Lebar eventually rose from their slumber and played with renewed vigour during the 3rd and 4th quarters. Paya Lebar started the second half with a tight man-to-man defence, and did not allow Whye Nam to build on their commanding lead.

Led by their #4 and #11, Paya Lebar managed to find their momentum, and a way past the Whye Nam defence, outscoring them in the 3rd quarter. Whye Nam, on the other hand, played in a relaxed mode as they already had the game in the bag. They could not increase their lead as most of their free throws were not converted, and had an increasing lapse of concentration as the game wore on. Eventually, the huge margin that Whye Nam had built in the first half gave them a comfortable 71-43 win.

If Whye Nam can maintain their focus and continue to play with such incredible defence for the next few matches, they would be a dark horse in this competition and would surely give the marquee teams like Tagawa, Tong Whye and Minyi a run for their money.