Story By Zachary Foo/Red Sports. Photos by Laura Lee/Red Sports

Regina Chua (NTS #11) attempts a layup in traffic. Regina led her team in scoring with nine points. (Photo 1 &copy: Laura Lee/Red Sports)

Clementi Sports Hall, Wednesday, March 26, 2014 — Defending champions Dunman Secondary (DMN) recorded a 52–25 win over New Town Secondary (NTS) in the first round of the National B Division Girls Basketball Championship. Nur ‘Aqidah (DMN #13) and Regina Chua (NTS #11) were the top scorers with nine points each.

Even though both teams have played each other in friendly matches throughout the year, this is the first time both squads have met each other in a competitive match.

Dunman completely shut out New Town in the first quarter, holding them to only two points. Dunman’s defence was disciplined, refusing to let any New Town player cut into the paint. Each time a New Town player attempted a drive, they would find themselves sandwiched between two Dunman players. This led New Town to settle for jumpers, but they were off the mark each time. Regina Chua (NTS #11) broke New Town’s drought, scoring a runner with a couple of minutes left.

The second quarter saw Dunman gradually extend the lead through good fundamental offence. The Dunman players would swing the ball around until they found an open teammate, generating easy shot attempts. Nur ‘Aqidah (DMN #13) poured in five points in the quarter to help her team’s cause. New Town were unable to find their shooting touch, as they seemed fatigued from trying to break through Dunman’s defence.

New Town then decided to change up their strategy, going into a full court press to start the third quarter. Dunman seemed unfazed by it, breaking through the press with ease. They had a rough time making their jumpers, but were still able to find opportunities in the paint.

The final quarter saw the game open up for Dunman. Nursing a comfortable lead, their players were able to intercept passing lanes more aggressively than before. This led to a lot of New Town turnovers, which Dunman would convert on the other end. Dunman ended the game with a 52–25 scoreline, putting them at the top of Group S with a 1–0 win–loss record.

Dunman captain, Putri Nur Syazwani (#15), said, “We could have done better in the game. We need to improve our rebounding as well as fast breaks. I think Yishun Town is our biggest threat in the group, although we cannot underestimate Raffles Girls’ School as well.”

Scoring by Quarter
Dunman Secondary vs New Town Secondary
1st Quarter: 7–2
2nd Quarter: 12–4 (19–6)
3rd Quarter: 18–8 (37–14)
4th Quarter: 15–11 (52–25)

Top Scorers
Dunman
Nur ‘Aqidah (#13) – 9 points
Nur Adlina (#14) – 8 points
Nur Khaliesah (#6) – 8 points

New Town
Regina Chua (#11) – 9 points
Nicole Poh (#12) – 7 points

Dunman Roster
Rafizan Roslah (#4), Kattbeya (#5), Nur Khaliesah (#6), Emiliati (#7), Marsha Folkoff (#8), Tanya Ee (#9), Pearlynn Yeo (#10), Shannon Tan (#11), Sofia Raihanah (#12), Nur ‘Aqidah (#13), Nur Adlina (#14), Putri Nur Syazwani (#15)

New Town Roster
Nichole Tan Wan Qian (#4), Tricia Yeo (#6), Claudia Soh Cai Xuan (#7), Yap Jin Tong (#9), Ang Jia Hui (#10), Chua Pei Jun Regina (#11), Nicole Poh (#12), Jody Ng Jin Yi (#13), Hou Yu Ting (#14), Nhieu Chia Xin Yi (#15)

National B Division Girls Basketball Championships — Fixtures and Results

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