Story by REDintern Edina Tan. Photos by REDintern Chua Kai Yun.

Aaron (Compassvale #12) dribbles the ball after catching the rebound. He scored a game high 12 points. (Photo 1 © REDintern Chua Kai Yun)

Aaron (CVS #12) dribbles the ball after catching the rebound. He scored a game high 12 points. (Photo 1 © REDintern Chua Kai Yun)

Singapore Basketball Centre, Friday, January 29, 2016 — A thrilling match that had spectators on the edge of their seats concluded with Yio Chu Kang Secondary (YCK) beating Compassvale Secondary (CVS) 35-33. It was their fourth win and secured them a spot in Round 2 of the North Zone B Division Basketball Championship.

Aaron (CVS #12) led with a game-high 12 points, while Mark Zhen Yang (YCK #19) led his team with 9.

The game started off slow, with missed baskets as well as unsuccessful free throws preventing either team from scoring. Mackenzie (YCK #4) finally broke this spell with a three-pointer. This was swiftly followed by teammate Mark Zhen Yang with another three-pointer to give Yio Chu Kang a 6-0 lead in the first five minutes.

A fast break from Wei Yee (CVS #5) gave him a basket and the first two points for his team. The quarter concluded with Yio Chu Kang leading 8-5.

At the start of the second quarter, a three-pointer from Aaron (CVS #12) tied the score up at 8-8. Another successful shot from Aaron, as well as a basket from Justin (YCK #10) evened out the score yet again. A fast break from Han Quan (YCK #25) led to a successful underbasket to give Yio Chu Kang a 16-12 lead at half time.

The half time break was an energy booster for both teams, as the third quarter started off swiftly with Vandy (CVS #13) getting in two consecutive underbaskets.

Consecutive successful free throws from Mark (YCK #19) and Justin (YCK #10) ensured that the game remained close. Yio Chu Kang edged the quarter 11-10, and took a 27-22 lead into the fourth.

A three-pointer from Tristan (CVS #8) in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter reduced the deficit to two points (25-27). Commendable teamwork from Wei Yee and Vandy saw the latter give Compassvale a 28-27 lead. However, Yio Chu Kang fought back with a vengeance, and a shot by Han Quan (YCK #52) pulled his team back into a one-point lead.

As the clock ticked down, both teams grew more aggressive. Aaron’s (CVS #12) second three-pointer of the match reduced the deficit to a nail-biting 33-34 in the last two minutes, but it was a successful free throw by Justin (YCK #10) in the final 30 seconds that secured Yio Chu Kang win.

Yio Chu Kang Secondary vice-captain, Chuan Qing (#23), said, “We played rather badly in this match. We fought hard, but it was a close win and we did not shoot as well as we were supposed to. It was a really hard game for us.”

Scoring by Quarter
Compassvale vs Yio Chu Kang
1st Quarter: 5-8
2nd Quarter: 7-8 (12-16)
3rd Quarter: 10-11 (22-27)
4th Quarter: 11-8 (33-25)

Top Scorers
Yio Chu Kang
Mark Zhen Yang (#19) – 9 points
Justin Ng (#10) – 8 points
Tiong Chuan Qing (#23) – 8 points

Compassvale
Aaron (#12) – 12 points
Vandy (#13) – 8 points

Yio Chu Kang Roster
Wong Liang Yi Leon Makenzie (#4), Tan Han Quan (#52), Issac Pe (#25), Darryl Teow Ting Han (#12), Tan Terdratch Yong An (#2), Mark Zhen Yang (#19), Justin Ng Kum Fook (#10), Muhd Irfan Nur Ilham (#35), Goldwyn Tay Ping Long (#18), Tiong Chuan Qing (#23), Chow Ru Shan Ryan (#24), Quik Jin Kang (#9)

Compassvale Roster
Brendan (#4), Wei Yee (#5), Lester (#6), Jeremy (#7), Tristan (#8), Nigel (#9), Dylan (#10), Kyler (#11), Aaron (#12), Vandy (#13), Ethan (#14), Cliffton (#15)

North Zone B Division Basketball Championship – fixtures and results
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