Story by Lim Yi Fei/Red Sports. Photos by Lee Jian Wei/Red Sports.
(#4) of Raffles Institution shoots against Pei Cai Secondary. (Photo 1 © Lee Jian Wei/Red Sports)
OCBC Arena, Tuesday, February 13, 2018 — Raffles Institution (RI)’s steady scoring proved to be the catalyst behind a 38–32 victory over Pei Cai (PC) Secondary in the second round of the South Zone B Division Basketball Championship.
Andre Lim (RI #11) and teammate Samuel Chin (#21) chipped in 14 and 10 points respectively while Pei Cai’s Tan Chao Khon (PC #12) had a game-high 17 points.
Pei Cai kept the scores close all the way until the end by converting their rebounds and free throws into points. But RI worked hard to keep their opponents at bay with their scoring game and managed to secure the victory with RI’s vice-captain Raehan Sanuda (RI #4) commending his team’s “fighting spirit”.
“We did not give up even though our opponents were so close to coming back. We kept pressing on. We had a big lead at the start but gradually gave up points. Our fighting spirit was there and we really wanted to win so we did our best to keep the score up,” said the Raffles’ vice-captain.
But he also added that the team still had things they can improve on.
“We can definitely work on committing fewer fouls as we have given Pei Cai too many free throws.”
Ushering in an early set play, Raffles took the lead through help sides defence and clearing easy baskets.
Thanks to their superior athleticism, Raffles was able to utilise backdoor cuts to find open looks at the basket. Coupled with double-team efforts, Raffles was able to force restrict their opponents into tight corners.
Capitalising on his height, Andre Lim (RI #11) hustled for rebounds valiantly and made his presence known in the paint as the first quarter ended with Pei Cai trailing 8–14.
But Pei Cai managed to bridge the gap by halftime as they turned rebounds into points by often going coast-to-coast from a defensive board.
Despite Pei Cai not being able to go up strong under the basket, they managed to create foul trouble and offensive outings for Raffles, adding to their opponents’ woes.
By the third quarter end, Pei Cai was within striking distance as the score stood at 25–27.
However, fatigue set in on Pei Cai, allowing the boys in white to cut past them on defense while committing turnovers on offense.
Cutting into the paint was an easy feat for Raffles as they scored back-to-back while leaving their opponents fumbling.
However, Raffles committed plenty of fouls as Pei Cai used the free throws to their advantage to catch up. It was an intense effort from Pei Cai, who continued to force their opponents to foul them in order to turn the tide.
But Raffles made sure they clinch the victory as they took to running out the game clock and secured their second win in the second round with a score of 38–32.
Pei Cai’s Captain Tan Chao Khon (#12) said: “We performed better compared to the previous games and we also helped each other more this time. We can, however, work on our turnovers and support each other more.”
With this win, Raffles improved to a 2–1 win-loss record in the second round, with their only loss coming against Mayflower Secondary. They will play Guangyang next. Meanwhile, Pei Cai dropped to a 0–2 record.
Scoring by Quarter
Raffles vs Pei Cai
1st Q: 14-8
2nd Q: 2-8 (16-16)
3rd Q: 9-9 (25-25)
4th Q: 13-7 (38-32)
Top Scorers
Raffles Institution
Lim Chong Jun Andre (#11) – 14 pts
Samuel Chin Jia Jie (#21) – 10 pts
Pei Cai Secondary
Tan Chao Khon (#12) – 11 pts
Raffles Institution Roster
Aresh Kumanan (#2), Raehan Sanuda Bopitiya (#4), Feng Zi Ru (#6), Tan De Bin Barry (#8), Yeo Kai Jie (#9), Lim Chong Jun Andre (#11), Joshua Neoh Jun Li (#13), Samuel Chin Jia Jie (#21), Arjun Kumanan (#24), Ngai Yan Tai (#26), Sng Yin Jun (#28), Chang Chia Yin (#35)
Pei Cai Secondary Roster
Lim Shao Feng (#4), Tan Kuan Feng (#5), Too Zhi Cai Benedict (#6), Dexter (#7), Alan Gurung (#8), Nicholas Peh Rui Yang (#9), Koh Li Tian (#10), Tan Ren Xiang (#11), Tan Chao Khon (#12), Jovan Cheong Qin Xian (#13), Tam Wei Xuan (#14), Lee Heng Yi Stallonzo (#15)
More photos next page
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