By REDintern Zachary Foo
Thng Yong-An (#9) of Unity in action against Westwood. Unity went unbeaten throughout their West Zone campaign to win the championship. (Photo © Sasha Christian/Red Sports)
Clementi Sports Hall, Monday, August 5, 2013 — Unity Secondary beat Jurong Secondary 76–53 to win their sixth straight zone title since 2008, while Bukit Panjang Government High pipped River Valley High to third place with a 60–47 victory.
We recap how each team made it to the top four.
Unity Secondary
Going into this year’s campaign, Unity were looking to complete a sixth straight championship win stretching back to 2008, naturally earning them the label of powerhouses. They had a good team that was defensively sound and had polished offensive skills. Round 1 was a breeze for the team, as they recorded an average margin of victory of 70 points, while at the same time, came close to scoring 100 points on two occasions.
Heading into Round 2, one would expect Unity to encounter stiffer opposition. However, this was not the case, as Unity kicked it up a notch to romp into the semi-final stage, qualifying from the group unbeaten. They even broke the 100-point barrier in one game, dropping 104 points on New Town Secondary.
In the semi-final, Unity took on last year’s fourth-place finisher, Bukit Panjang Government High. The game was a tighter affair as Bukit Panjang were able to score against Unity’s defense more effectively as compared to previous teams. This marked the first time that Unity allowed more than 50 points in their C Division campaign, as they came out 78–56 winners.
Waiting for them in the final was a familiar foe, Jurong Secondary, whom they have faced in three out of the last four zone finals. Again, Unity showed that they were a force to be reckoned with, piling up a comfortable lead early in the game and maintaining it throughout the game. They won comfortably 76–53 as they secured their four-peat of zone titles. With last year’s national champions Catholic High showing some weaknesses, Unity look like a strong candidate to take their crown this year at nationals.
River Valley High
After falling in the second round of the zone last year, River Valley High came into this year with a goal of improving on that result. They seemed to set the tone in Round 1, where they held opponents to single digits in each of their wins, only losing 29–49 to zone powerhouses Bukit Panjang Government High in their group. This meant that they qualified second, albeit with an extremely good points difference.
They struggled in Round 2, as they were drawn into a group of similarly-skilled teams, with the exception of Unity Secondary. This meant that it was a four-horse race for a place in the semi-finals, along with a ticket to nationals.
After going down 71–33 to Unity in the opening match, they showed true grit to grind out wins in the rest of their games, winning each of them by close margins. This meant that they qualified for Nationals, as well as making the semi-finals for the first time since 2010.
They then faced Jurong Secondary, who beat them 53–38. River Valley found themselves up against Bukit Panjang again in the 3rd and 4th place match. They lost again, but this time by only nine points compared to the 20-point loss in their earlier meeting.
River Valley should be pretty satisfied with their improved zonal campaign this year, and will welcome the experience of playing in the national championship again after missing out in the last two years.
Jurong Secondary
Having played the bridesmaid in both 2010 and 2012, it was pretty evident what Jurong Secondary’s goal was for this year – to beat Unity and wrest the zone championship from them.
They breezed through their group in Round 1, going unbeaten and compiling an 86-point scoring average. They also recorded what was probably the highest points total in a game for a team in this year’s competition, scoring 138 points against Hillgrove Secondary. Jurong were out for blood and this game was a strong statement sent out by them to the rest of the teams in the competition.
In Round 2, the higher level of competition did not seem to bother them, as they had a 5–0 win-loss record in the group. They did have a minor scare against Bukit Panjang Government High, who held them to only a 54–44 win.
Jurong then faced newcomers River Valley High in the semi-final match, showing the gulf in experience between both teams as they beat them 53–38.
This meant that a dream rematch with Unity was on the cards for the final. However, the dream was shattered as Unity proved that they were a class above the rest of the teams in the zone, putting up a convincing 76–53 win against Jurong.
Jurong will look to erase the disappointment of losing out on the zone title by winning the big one at nationals.
Bukit Panjang Government High
Bukit Panjang cemented their status as zone powerhouses this year, after finishing in the top four in both 2010 and 2012.
They were extremely dominant in Round 1, going undefeated in the group, highlighted by a 122–9 thrashing of Crest Secondary.
Round 2 was a more nail-biting affair, as they were drawn into a group that contained both Jurong Secondary and Jurong West Secondary, both also strong contenders for the semi-final spots.
Jurong managed to secure the top spot, which meant the final group game between Bukit Panjang and Jurong West was significant, as Jurong West needed to win by a large margin to pip Bukit Panjang to second place on points difference. However, Bukit Panjang managed to restrict them to a three-point win and progressed to the semi-final stage by the skin of their teeth.
In their semi-final match against Unity, they become the first team to put up more than 50 points on the board against Unity this year in their 78–56 defeat against the eventual zone champions. This bodes well for Bukit Panjang, as they will probably face weaker defences at the national level and they have a chance of a strong showing.
In the playoff for third place, they managed to grind out an 11-point win against River Valley, improving on last year’s fourth-place finish.
Final
Unity 76 Jurong 53
3rd/4th
Bukit Panjang Government High 56 River Valley High 47
Semi-Finals
Unity 78 Bukit Panjang Government High 56
River Valley High 38 Jurong Secondary 53
Final Standings
Champions — Unity Secondary
Runners-up — Jurong Secondary
3rd — Bukit Panjang Govt High
4th — River Valley High
2013 West Zone C Division Basketball Championship – fixtures and results
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