By Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports

National A Division Basketball Championship Girls HCI vs RI

Au Zi Yu (#9) of Hwa Chong Institution passes the ball against Raffles Institution. She led all scorers with a game-high 24 points. (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)

Singapore Basketball Centre, Wednesday, May 13, 2015 — Despite a poor first-half showing, Au Zi Yu (#9) stepped up when it mattered the most – in the overtime period.

With 58 seconds remaining in overtime and her team trailing Raffles Institution (RI) 55–57, the Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) forward recorded four points, along with a crucial steal, all in just six seconds. Her clutch play virtually smashed RI’s hopes of a victory, as HCI eventually clinched the 62–58 win in the semi-final of the National A Division Girls’ Basketball Championship.

“I didn’t perform very well in the first few quarters, but I really wanted to win this and encouraged the rest of the team not to give up and do their best,” said Au (#9).

The 18-year-old added, “When we were down, we were a little scared, but we had to fight on, tell ourselves that the game is not over, and play our best in the fourth and overtime period.”

Au (#9) was the only HCI player to finish in double-digit scoring with a game-high 24 points, while Woon Wei Jing (#12) and Charmaine Koh (#9) led RI with 17 and 16 points respectively.

In the opening quarter, Au (#9) sparked HCI to an early 7–4 lead, but that was their only lead in regulation. Bernice Yeo (#4) sparked a 10–2 run to propel RI to a five-point lead at the end of the quarter.

Riding on their momentum, RI put up another scoring run early in the following quarter, putting up 10 unanswered points to bolster their lead. Despite having a smaller line-up, RI managed to outrebound HCI 14–9 in the frame. Undaunted, led by Ya Lian (#12), HCI put up a 6–0 run of their own to end the quarter trailing 15–24.

After the break, a scoring drought nullified RI’s efforts in the first four minutes, allowing HCI to trim the deficit to just two points. Yeo (#4) immediately stepped up to stem the bleeding and helped RI outscore HCI 11–8 and maintain their lead.

HCI’s turning point came in the fourth quarter, after Sheryl Ng (#4) came off the bench to knock down a three-pointer to reduce the deficit to just three points with just under a minute remaining.

On the ensuing possession, a crucial RI turnover on the inbound play allowed Chloe Yan (HCI #6) to tie the game at 49 apiece, sending the game into overtime.

Both teams went back-and-forth until the final minute, where Au (#9) took over with her clutch play.
After Au (#9) put HCI up 59–57, Ng (#4) followed with a drive to extend the lead, and Au’s (#9) final free throw was just icing on the cake.

In the other semi-final, Nanyang Junior College defeated National Junior College 58–41 to secure a berth in a historic first final.

With the victory, HCI will face Nanyang Junior College in the final, which will be played at 1 p.m. on May 19, at Jurong East Sports Hall. RI will face National Junior College in the 3rd/4th playoff game, which will be played at 1 p.m. on May 15, at the Singapore Basketball Centre.

Score by Quarter
HCI vs RI
1st Quarter: 9–14
2nd Quarter: 6–10 (15–24)
3rd Quarter: 15–11 (30–35)
4th Quarter: 19–14 (49–49)
Overtime: 13–9 (62–58)

Top scorers
HCI
Au Zi Yu (#9) – 24 points (3 x 3-pointers)

RI
Woon Wei Jing (#12) – 17 points (2 x 3-pointers)
Charmaine Koh (#9) – 16 points

HCI Roster
Sheryl Ng (#4), Nichole Tan (#5), Chloe Yan (#6), Lim Boon Yee (#7), Jia Hwee (#8), Au Zi Yu (#9), Xiu Yi (#10), Daliniraj (#11), Ya Lian (#12), Lin Yuan (#13), Chloe Tan (#14), Chan Yu Shin (#15)

RI Roster
Bernice Yeo (#4), Shriya (#5), Rachel Mok (#6), Carisia Lee (#7), Stephanie (#8), Charmaine Koh (#9), Jie En (#10), Shang Mengge (#11), Woon Wei Jing (#12), Thasnova Rahman Thamim (#13), Sevilla Chea (#14), Shalleeni (#15)

National A Division Girls’ Basketball Championship — fixtures and results

More photos next page