By REDintern Zachary Foo
Jayne Chan (#12) of CHIJ goes up for two before Ruth Chong (#13) of Zhonghua can stop her. Jayne had a game-high 30 points. (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
PESEB, Evans Road, Friday, August 2, 2013 — CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) put up a dominating performance against Zhonghua Secondary to win 63–37 and book a place in the final of the South Zone C Division Girls’ Basketball Championship.
Jayne Chan (CHIJ(TP) #12) and Desiree Lee (CHIJ(TP) #14) shouldered the scoring load for CHIJ(TP), as they accounted for 50 of the team’s 67 points.
CHIJ(TP) will now face Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS) in the final after SCGS beat Raffles Girls’ School 55–35 in the other semi-final.
Jayne Chan (CHIJ(TP) #12) put on a virtuoso performance in the first quarter. She was very active in the passing lanes, consistently swiping the ball from Zhonghua players. She would then convert the steals on the other end with easy layups, tallying 10 points in the quarter.
On one of those attempts, Jayne seemed to injure her right knee, however she continued to play with a minor limp. Zhonghua started off very tense, as they could not find an answer for the ball-hawking Jayne (CHIJ(TP) #12), leading to sloppy ball-handling and a lot of turnovers.
In the second quarter, Jayne showed that her right knee wasn’t bothering her as much, as she continued her dominance over Zhonghua. She was making steals in the back-court, as she had the luxury of knowing that if her opponents beat her off the drive, Joelle Thng (CHIJ(TP) #11) would be in the paint to ward off any players.
Zhonghua had a few opportunities near the basket, but they were unable to shoot over the long arms of Joelle (CHIJ(TP) #11). Zhonghua were held to only two points in the quarter and went into the half-time break down 32–6.
The third quarter saw a change in momentum, as CHIJ(TP) took their foot off the pedal. Their coach elected to rest their key starters and went to his bench. Zhonghua sensed an opportunity and took a firm hold of it, as their offence found a new rhythm and they started making shots. Esther Yip (Zhonghua #4) and Ruth Chong (Zhonghua #13) were the catalysts, scoring a combined 13 points in the quarter.
CHIJ(TP) decided to remove the kid gloves in the final quarter and brought their starters back in. Desiree Lee (CHIJ(TP) #14) became the focal point of the offence. She made a couple of three-pointers, along with a few baskets where she went coast-to-coast from one end to the other to score. The game was a lot more competitive at this point, as Zhonghua seemed to have found the key to unlocking CHIJ(TP)’s defence.
At the same time, CHIJ(TP) were also shredding Zhonghua’s defence. This was probably the most exciting period of the game, as both teams were going on fast breaks in a bid to put up points on the board. In the end, CHIJ(TP) sealed their place in the final with a 63–37 victory.
Jayne (CHIJ(TP) #12) said: “The matchup against Singapore Chinese Girls’ School in the final will be very competitive as there will be a high level of play. I have faith in the team that we will do well.”
Jia Hong (Zhonghua #9) said: ” I felt that my teammates played well today, even though we lost. We will try our best to win against Raffles Girls’ School.”
Scoring by Quarter
CHIJ (Toa Payoh) vs Zhonghua
1st Quarter: 12–4
2nd Quarter: 20–2 (32–6)
3rd Quarter: 8–16 (40–22)
4th Quarter: 23–15 (63–37)
Top Scorers
CHIJ (Toa Payoh)
Jayne Chan (#12) – 30 points
Desiree Lee (#14) – 20 points (2 x 3-pointers)
Zhonghua
Esther Yip (#4) – 16 points
Ruth Chong (#13) – 8 points
CHIJ (Toa Payoh) Roster
Kristie Chan (#4), Anjou Ang (#5), Renee Siu (#6), Marriott See (#7), Tania Abraham (#8), Claire Tay (#9), Leah Jeremiah (#10), Joelle Thng (#11), Jayne Chan (#12), Yan Ning (#13), Desiree Lee (#14), Isabelle Monteiro (#15)
Zhonghua Roster
Esther Yip (#4), Neo Wei Ling (#5), Tang Li Shan (#6), Reanne Ching (#7), Teh Jia Min (#8), Tan Jia Hong (#9), Sherry Lee (#10), Roxanne Lau (#11), Jeslyn Chew (#12), Ruth Chong (#13), Belinda Soh (#14), Foo Qi En (#15)
2013 South Zone C Division Basketball Championship – fixtures and results
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