AYG FIBA 33 Basketball: Singapore boys lose to South Korea but finish in top 8

Story by Alan Chiang/Red Sports. Photos by Vanessa Lim/Red Sports.

Anglican High School, Friday, July 3, 2009 - The Singapore basketball boys reached their target of a top-eight finish, but that was as far as they progressed as the hosts were well-beaten 34-24 by South Korea in their Asian Youth Games FIBA 33 quarter-final match.

Singapore had to be content with the result as they faced an uphill task to overcome powerhouse South Korea in the quarter-final. The latter boasted a 100 per cent record prior to the match, while hosts Singapore only managed to sneak into the last 8 after a victory against India in their final preliminary match.

The Koreans went on a scoring streak right from the beginning and led 7-0 run courtesy of excellent plays from Choi Seung Wook (#7) and a 3-point basket from Choi Changjin (#6). Jabez Su (#4), Singapore's captain, did not back down as he answered with a 3-pointer of his own.

Russel Low (#5) added two successive shots to tie the game after enjoying much possession in the paint, but it did not take too long for Korea to revive their game as Lee Jonghyun (#14), possessing a bigger physical frame than Russel, contributed six points by the end of the first period.

South Korea began the second period with their tallest players on court but it took a while for them to gel as a team. Jabez got Singapore on the score sheet first, but Korea then sparked to life towards the end of the second period as they broke away for a 10-point lead at 30-20.

South Korea now had a full 5-minute period to score another three points to seal the win, while Singapore had to outscore the Koreans at will in order to pull off a miraculous victory.

The Koreans got their next two points through Choi Changjin (#6) as the Singapore players had a tough time containing his pace and trickery. Although Russel reduced the deficit with four straight points, Lee Jonghyun (#14) scored in the paint to claim the win.

Despite being the game’s high scorer along with Korea’s Lee Jonghyun, Russel's 14-point effort was not enough to prevent a Korean win. Team mates Larry Liew (#11) and Jabez did not have their usual shooting game while Goh Kong Tat (#12) sat the entire match.

Russel said, "I played better than the first two matches against China and Uzbekistan."

He felt that defense was a let-down today. "We did not work on our defense and let them open."

Jabez, the Singapore captain, said, "We were not ready in the first period but once we got the momentum, it was a bit too late."

He added, "We played a match in the morning and another one in the afternoon, so we feel tired."

Neo Nam Kheng, Singapore's coach, was satisfied with the team's performance. He said, "Singapore has fared very well, a 100-mark performance, except that we are inexperienced."

He added, "We have to keep the players intact and improve our plays to better prepare for the next challenges ahead."

He singled out China as the team that would prevail in this competition due to their dominance in height.

The Team Singapore boys basketball team would like to thank all supporters for their continual backing and encouragement.

Match Statistics
Scores by period
1st: KOR 17 SIN 10
2nd: KOR 13 SIN 10
3rd: KOR 4 SIN 4

Scorers
KOR
Lee Jonghyun (#14) - 14 points
Choi Changjin (#6) - 8 points
Choi Seung Wook (#7) - 6 points
Lee Dong Yeop (#11) - 6 points

SIN
Russel Low (#5) - 14 points
Jabez Su (#4) - 8 points
Larry Liew (#11) - 2 points