Story by Chan Hua Zheng/Red Sports. Photos by Dylan Chua/Red Sports.

Jasmin Pun (GYS #23) grabs the offensive board and goes back up for two. She scored a game-high 26 points in the win. (Photo 1 © Dylan Chua/Red Sports)

Jasmin Pun (GYS #23) grabs the offensive board and goes back up for two. She scored a game-high 26 points in the win. (Photo 1 © Dylan Chua/Red Sports)

Delta Sports Hall, Monday, February 26, 2018 — Guangyang Secondary (GYS) edged out St. Margaret’s Secondary (SMS) 51–45 with a strong second half performance to book a spot in the South Zone B Division Girls’ Basketball Championship Final.

Led by a game-high 26 points from Jasmin Pun (#23), Guangyang will next face National Junior College in the final for the South Zone B Division Girls’ Basketball title.

St. Margaret’s was led by #5, who finished the game with 14 points, and will next match up against Raffles Girls’ in the 3rd/4th placing match.

St. Margaret’s started off the game with a tight 2–3 zone defence that denied Guangyang passes that led to scoring opportunities in the paint area, while they went on a 9–3 scoring run on fast-break points off Guangyang turnovers.

After a Guangyang timeout with 6:58 remaining in the quarter, Guangyang struck back by locking up on the defensive end to force St. Margaret’s into turnovers and went on a 6–0 run to tie the game up at 9–9 at the end of the quarter.

St. Margaret’s responded by sprinting out of the gate in the second quarter with an 8–2 scoring run over the first six minutes, scoring in semi-transition before Guangyang could set their defence.

The momentum would then shift in Guangyang’s favour over the final four minutes of the period, as they fired back with an 8–2 scoring run of their own to tie the game at 19 apiece at halftime, sending a crowd into a frenzy as both teams refused to back down.

Guangyang’s stellar defence continued into the third period as they continued to force St. Margaret’s into committing turnovers off forced passes and taking forced shots, grabbing a 28–24 lead with 5:38 left and forcing a St. Margaret’s timeout.

However, Guangyang struggled with foul trouble and St. Margaret’s took advantage of the fact that Guangyang was in the penalty. St. Margaret’s played with aggression on offence, drawing fouls for points off free-throws to end the quarter trailing by only three points.

The fourth quarter saw both sides hampered by fatigue due to the intense pace of the game, with Jasmin Pun (GYS #23) and St. Margaret’s #12 both going down with leg cramps. As a result, coaches from both sides had to resort to frequent substitutions to keep fresh legs on the court.

With the game hanging in the balance, Guangyang would ignite a crucial 8–2 scoring run to grab a 44–35 lead and force a St. Margaret’s timeout with 6:07 left.

St. Margaret’s returned from the timeout with renewed determination, bringing the energy on defence with a full-court press that sparked a 10–4 run to make it a one-possession game with a 45–48 scoreline with 1:14 remaining on the clock.

However, any hopes of a St. Margaret’s comeback was snuffed out by Jasmin Pun (GYS #23), who grabbed a clutch offensive board and made the put-back basket after coming back from cramps earlier in the period to make it 50–45 with 0:48 left.

Valerie Sng (GYS #25) would proceed to make one of two free-throws with 0:26 left to seal a 51–45 victory for Guangyang.

The final between Guangyang Secondary and National Junior College will be on 1 March at 1.00 pm, while the 3rd/4th placing match between St. Margaret’s Secondary and Raffles Girls’ will be on 28 Feb at 1.00 pm. Both matches will be held at Delta Sports Complex.

Scoring by Quarter
St. Margaret’s vs Guangyang
1st Q: 9-9
2nd Q: 10-10 (19-19)
3rd Q: 14-17 (33-36)
4th Q: 12-15 (45-51)

Top Scorers
St. Margaret’s
#5 – 14 points

Guangyang
Jasmin Pun (#23) – 26 points

St. Margaret’s Roster
Red Sports was unable to get hold of St.Margaret’s Secondary School’s roster. If you know any of the players, kindly leave a reply and we will update the story accordingly.

Guangyang Roster
Jastena Gurung (#2), Janelle Lim (#8), Grace Lim (#9) ,Chia Jie En (#10), Tan Ying Ying (#11) ,Adeline Ee (#12), Veronica Tan (#20), Jasmin Pun (#23), Valerie Sng (#25), Eksa Mabo (#30), Dursan Rai (#31), Toh Wang Xin (#36)

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