Story By Zachary Foo/Red Sports. Photos by Laura Lee/Red Sports
Dalini Rajandhran (Nanyang Girls’ #11) attempting a layup against a player from Zhonghua. (Photo 1 © Laura Lee/Red Sports)
Clementi Sports Hall, Monday, March 24, 2014 — Nanyang Girls’ High School (NYGH) came back after a shaky start to beat Zhonghua Secondary (ZHS) 46–26 in the first round of the National B Division Girls Basketball Championship.
Charmian Cheah (NYGH #13) made four three-pointers on her way to 14 points, while Ashley Phui (ZHS #10) had 10 points to pace her team.
Nanyang Girls’ are now joint-top of Group P along with Anderson Secondary School. Both teams have a 1–0 win–loss record. Anderson narrowly beat Anglican High 36–35 in the other group game.
The momentum was with Zhonghua early on, Ashley Phui (ZHS #10) scored four points to give her team an early 10–6 lead. Nanyang Girls’ were sloppy at the start, making a lot of careless turnovers. Their defence in the paint was weak, allow Zhonghua to cut in for easy lay ups.
Nanyang Girls’ started to regroup midway through the second quarter. Recognising that Zhonghua relied on getting into the paint to score, Nanyang tightened their defence up down low. This allowed them to force misses and helped them to cut the deficit. Charmian was key to her team’s turnaround performance in the second quarter, contributing and playing well on both ends. To cap off her quarter, she stole an errant Zhonghua pass and scored a three-pointer to beat the second quarter buzzer.
Nanyang Girls’ continued their good run of form in the second half, as their frontcourt defended the paint well. This prevented any drives from Zhonghua from succeeding, which compelled them to settle for three-point shots that were well off the mark. Nanyang Girls’ offence also started to come together after a sloppy first half. Their players started making their shots at a higher rate. Charmian dropped two three-pointers in the final quarter for good measure, taking her total tally of three-pointers to four for the game.
Nanyang Girls’ emerged with the 46–26 win, putting them in good stead before their next game against Anderson Secondary. The game will be played on Thursday, March 27 at 1:30pm at Clementi Sports Hall. Zhonghua take on Anglican High in their next game on the adjacent court at the same time.
Nanyang Girls’ top scorer, Charmian (#13), said, “We were not focused at the start and we fumbled a lot. We made a lot of missed passes and we didn’t dare to drive into the paint. We gradually improved and eventually got the win. We have to improve on our rebounds and setting our defence quicker. We also need to learn how to control the pace when we have the lead.”
Scoring by Quarter
Nanyang Girls’ High School vs Zhonghua Secondary
1st Quarter: 6–10
2nd Quarter: 16–7 (22–17)
3rd Quarter: 16–5 (38–22)
4th Quarter: 8–4 (46–26)
Top Scorers
Nanyang Girls’
Charmian Cheah (#13) – 14 points (4 x 3-pointers)
Zhonghua
Ashley Phui (#10) – 10 points
Nanyang Girls’ Roster
Sheryl Ng Xue Qi (#4), Pek Zhi Min (#5), Chloe Yan Yingyun (#6), Boon Jia Hwee (#7), Jacqueline Yang Chu Ruo (#8), Ng Ziqi Natasha (#9), Wong Swee Kit Rachel (#10), Dalini Vicktoria Rajandhran (#11), Lim Boon Yee (#12), Charmian Cheah (#13), Tan Li Wen (#14), Chan Yu Shin (#15)
Zhonghua Roster
Joey Lam Yan (#4), Lydia Ong Si Jia (#5), Nicole Ching Yun Wen (#6), Chua Yi Jing (#7), Tan Jia Hong (#8), Chiang Wen Hsin (#9), Ashley Phui (#10), Mok Hui Teng Jessica (#11), Sin Kia Suan (#12), Chong En Ning Ruth (#13), Vivian Lim Shu Xian (#14), Wong Kai Qin (#15)
2014 National B Division Girls Basketball Championship – fixtures and results
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