By Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports

National B Division Basketball Championship Dunman Secondary vs Unity Secondary

Joshua Alas (#4) of Dunman is fouled on the drive by Tan Min Hui (#9) of Unity. The Dunman forward finished with 21 points, 12 boards, five blocks, three assists and three steals. (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)

Clementi Sports Hall, Tuesday, March 31, 2015 — Joshua Alas (#4) and Declan Goh (#15) recorded big double-doubles to help Dunman Secondary upset defending champions Unity Secondary 70–34.

Alas’s (#4) all-rounded effort included a game-high 21 points, 12 boards, five blocks, three dimes and three steals, while Goh (#15) finished with 12 points and 15 boards. John Christopher (#7) led Unity with a team-high 13 points.

Both teams had previously met in the final of the 2014 National B Division Basketball Championship, where Unity emerged victors. This time, Dunman had the last laugh.

“We respect them as defending champions and we just play our game and do everything we can to defeat them,” said Dunman captain, Alas (#4).

“Overall, our performance was good but we were not able to defend as well as we should have. It was a good game still as we were able to run some plays and penetrate through their defence.”

Thng Yong-An (#8), who plays a pivotal role in Unity’s line-up, had to be absent from the game due to a wrist fracture, sustained during the 7th Asian Schools Basketball Championship, which was held in Chiangmai, Thailand, from March 4 to 13.

Speed defined the game, as both teams tried to outdo each other by pushing the offensive pace.

Unity’s floor general John Christopher (#7) had trouble early on with a lack of support on offence, as he was locked down defensively by Benedict Ong (#7) and Shukri (#9). The Dunman backcourt held him to just two points in the opening quarter.

Dunman, on the other hand, had no trouble on offence, as excellent ball movement created easy opportunities. Alas (#4) was Dunman’s central piece on the both ends, as the athletic forward created several second chance baskets through his hustle plays and rebounds.

When Alas (#4) was on the bench, Unity had better looks and control of the boards, but poor finishing prevented them from closing the gap.

With three minutes remaining, Alas (#4) returned to play and immediately made his presence felt. He tallied four boards and three blocks in the frame, helping Dunman to extend their lead to 15 points.

After the break, while Dunman attempted to extend their lead, John Christopher (#7), Tan Min Hui (#9) and Karl Brian (#10) combined for four treys and kept Unity in contention.

In the closing quarter, Unity entered a shooting slump. Point guard John Christopher (#7) continued to push the offensive tempo, but his teammates could not keep up.

Dunman, however, had no such woe as their frontcourt duo of Alas (#4) and Goh (#15) dominated the boards and combined for 15 points in the quarter.

The East Zone champions held their opponents to just two points in the final 10 minutes and went on to clinch the 44-point victory.

Alas (#4) said, “I think if Yong-An (#8) was present, he and John (#7) would probably give us a lot of trouble as both of them are excellent players. I think they would probably put up a good fight in the game.”

The victory is Dunman’s third straight in the Nationals and they will advance to the second round. For Unity, the loss is their first, and they will also be making an appearance in the second round.

Score by Quarter
Dunman vs Unity
1st quarter: 15–4
2nd quarter: 16–12 (31–16)
3rd quarter: 15–16 (46–32)
4th quarter: 24–2 (70–34)

Top scorers
Dunman
Joshua Alas (#4) – 21 points
Benedict Ong (#7) – 12 points (2 x 3-pointers)
Declan Goh (#15) – 12 points

Unity
Caraig John Christopher Bico (#7) – 13 points (2 x 3-pointers)

Dunman Roster
Joshua Alas (#4), Xu Teck Chong (#5), Darren Ng (#6), Benedict Ong (#7), Cedric Lim (#8), Shukri (#9), Koh Jun Hao (#10), Chua Sheng Da (#11), Tan Yi Rong (#12), Gabriel Tan (#13), Raymond Chu (#14), Declan Goh (#15)

Unity Roster
Brandon Tan Jun Kai (#4), Lok Jun Jie (#5), Huang Jun Heng (#6), Caraig John Christopher Bico (#7), Thng Yong-An (#8), Tan Min Hui (#9), Karl Brian Dizon Villegas (#10), Liu En Hong (#11), Matthew Choo Ming-En (#12), Maverick Jercel E. Dasig (#13), Sheares Ang (#14), Victor Benedict V. Montallana (#15)

2015 National B Division Basketball Championship (Boys) — Fixtures and Results

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