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

Lee Yao Hong (BSS #9) goes a lay up against tight defence. He was the top scorer of the game, bagging 15 points. (Photo 1 © REDintern Chua Kai Yun)

Lee Yao Hong (BSS #9) goes a lay up against tight defence. He was the top scorer of the game, bagging 15 points. (Photo 1 © REDintern Chua Kai Yun)

Singapore Basketball Centre, Friday, February 12, 2016 — An exhilarating Round 2 match between two evenly matched teams concluded with Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary (AIS) securing a 62-58 win against Bowen Secondary (BSS) for their fifth win in the North Zone B Division Basketball Championship. This latest win improves Ahmad Ibrahim to a 5-1 win-loss record for the season.

Lee Yao Hong (BSS #9) had a game-high of 15 points, while Gabriel (AIS #15) led his team with 14.

A three-pointer from Axl (AIS #7) got the scoring going. Subsequent baskets from Shen Chou (BSS #10) and Nicholas (BSS #8) pushed Bowen into an early 4-3 lead within the first two minutes.

The tight defence kept up by both teams made scoring difficult, but this did not hinder Yao Hong (BSS #9) from scoring twice consecutively, the latter shot a three-pointer.

A three-pointer from teammate Daniel (BSS #13) followed, and barely five seconds later, another one from Michael (AIS #8) brought the score to 15-12 with Bowen still in the lead. The quarter concluded with Bowen narrowly in the lead at 17-15.

A three-pointer from Wilbur (BSS #14) kickstarted the second quarter. An underbasket shot from Zhe Kai (BSS #15) was countered with two consecutive baskets from Chenbin (AIS #5), closing the deficit and tying the score at 23-23 within the first five minutes.

A basket by Brandon (BSS #12) pulled Ahmad Ibrahim into a 25-23 lead. With tit-for-tat scoring from both teams, the score evened out again at 27-27 in the last three minutes. A successful first free throw from Zhe Kai (BSS #15) gave Bowen a 28-27 lead at half time.

The third quarter saw both teams tighten up their defense. Ahmad Ibrahim pulled ahead, with baskets from Axl (AIS #7) and Gabriel (AIS #15) giving them a 34-30 lead in the first two minutes. Bowen were not disheartened however, as two consecutive underbaskets from Zhe Kai (BSS #15) and Wei Jie (BSS #5) closed the gap.

The score was even at 40-40 midway through the third quarter. In the last few minutes, however, consecutive baskets from the Ahmad Ibrahim team thrust them into a clear lead at 48-40. This included a neat spin move from Brandon (AIS #12) in the final 30 seconds that resulted in a basket.

In the final quarter, Ahmad Ibrahim tightened their defense with aggressive gameplay. Both teams appeared to be tiring, with baskets and free throws missed.

Ahmad Ibrahim managed to further widen the score gap to 56-46 in the last five minutes, but their opponents were not deterred. A jump shot from Nicholas (BSS #8) closed the deficit to 53-59 in the last three minutes. A series of time-outs also bought both teams time to think through their strategies.

In the final minute, Gabriel (AIS #15) managed to get in both free throws, but it was a feat matched by Nicholas (BSS #8). Though Bowen clearly tried their best to the final minute, this was not enough to stop Ahmad Ibrahim from securing a close win of 62-58.

Ahmad Ibrahim captain Chen Hong (#9) said, “Our overall defence is okay, and I think the match was above our expectations. We lagged a bit in the final minutes though, and I also think our personal defence can improve.”

Scoring by Quarter
Bowen vs Ahmad Ibrahim
1st Q: 17-15
2nd Q: 11-12 (28-27)
3rd Q: 12-21 (40-48)
4th Q: 18-14 (58-62)

Top Scorers
Ahmad Ibrahim
Gabriel (#15) — 14 points

Bowen
Lee Yao Hong (#9) — 15 points
Nicholas Liew (#8) — 13 points

Ahmad Ibrahim Roster
Mohamed Faizal Mohamed Zafir (#14), Li Chenbin (#5), Tan Yi Xiang, Thomas (#6), Gabriel Angelo Bautista Mesina (#15), Michael Justin Nolasco Esplana (#8), Tang Wei Long (#13), Axl Teo Zheng Hui (#7), Tan Jian Hua Brandon (#12), Tay Li Yang (#4), Woon Zhan Ming (#11), Brian Sim Lee Jun Wei (#10), Chan Chen Hong (#9)

Bowen Roster
Wong Chin Kiat Cyrus (#4), Teng Wei Jie (#5), Harry Yap (#6), Jerome Soh (#7), Nicholas Liew (#8), Lee Yao Hong (#9), Wu Shen Chou (#10), Tay Jia Yi Shawn (#11), Ng Zhi Yong (#12), Ang Yi Le Daniel (#13), Tan Ming Sheng Wilbur (#14), Teo Zhe Kai (#15)

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