Story by REDintern Samantha Yom. Photos by Chan Hua Zheng/Red Sports.

Crystal Nathasha D/O Mathi Vanan (SCGS #9) drives hard to the hoop against the defense. She scored a game-high 18 points. (Photo 1 © Chan Hua Zheng/Red Sports)

OCBC Arena, Monday, March 19, 2018 — Fresh from their North Zone win, Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS) continued their top form in the Preliminary Round of the National B Division Basketball Championship, defeating Raffles Girls’ School (RGS) 59–26.

This is the first preliminary round match played by both schools, which means that SCGS open their Nationals season with a win, while Raffles Girls’ settled for a 0-1 win-loss record.

The match saw the North Zone Champions pitted against Raffles Girls’s, who had qualified for nationals after finishing fourth in the South Zone. Knowing that they were up against formidable opponents, Raffles Girls’ were prepared for a tough fight.

“We didn’t expect to win but I think we did pretty well as compared to our expectations. Although we lost, it was a good game,” commented Nicole Tng (RGS #50), whose solid ball control and fiery pace on court was instrumental to her team’s performance.

Perhaps this could be attributed to the extra effort they had been putting in in the weeks leading up to the match.

“Besides school training, we conducted our own personal training during the March Holidays too, where we focused on tactics,” added Nicole (RGS #50).

Yet, SCGS remained unstoppable right from the moment Rachel Ang Rui Ci (SCGS #11) sunk a field goal less than a minute into the game. The girls in white continued to power through the first quarter, displaying well-coordinated passing at the arc that kept them ahead of their rivals.

With a height advantage SCGS found much success garnering rebounds, in particular SCGS’s top scorer Crystal Nathasha D/O Mathi Vanan (SCGS #9, 18 points). Her thoughtful play also saw her deftly dodge Raffles Girls’ defence in the paint.

SCGS closed the first quarter 11 points in the lead with a scoreline of 18–7.

SCGS’ Tori Chua’s (SCGS #7) performance was also particularly noteworthy. Her agility and swiftness on the court were crucial in helping her get past the opposing team and forcing turnovers. However, she could not quite capitalise on these opportunities at the beginning of the second quarter due to poor scoring accuracy.

Meanwhile, Raffles Girls’ were fuelled by Nicole’s (RGS #50) fast and powerful dribbling, whose effort created opportunities for her team in their half. Unfortunately, they found it hard to get past SCGS’s sturdy defence to score, which eventually resulted in a shot-clock violation for the former.

As a result, SCGS managed to widen their lead, entering half-time with a 33–12 scoreline.

Nicole (RGS #50) had initially faltered in the third quarter, losing possession of the ball while dribbling, but made up for it by sinking a three-pointer shortly after. Their promising start was short-lived though, as Raffles Girls’ struggled to find their scoring rhythm.

With quick and explosive passes, SCGS had greater possession of the ball, establishing their dominance in the game. The third quarter ended 18–6.

Following the opening two-pointer scored by Raffles Girls’ top scorer Loh May Shann (RGS #8, 8 points), both sides surprisingly remained scoreless for the first 6 minutes of the fourth quarter. SCGS’ Rachel (SCGS #11) ended the scoring drought with a field goal, which was quickly answered in the same fashion by May Shann (RGS #8, 8 points), who then went on to sink a trey.

The final quarter ended with a successful fast break lay-up by another one of RGS’s top scorer, Charmaine Ng (RGS #12, 8 points), but SCGS had already built a convincing lead by then to end the game 59–26.

With a win under their belt, it seems like a promising start for SCGS in their quest to better their third-place finish last year. But they have a much simpler goal.

“We aim to just work hard, do our best and enjoy ourselves,” said Tori (SCGS #7).

SCGS will play Unity Secondary School next, while Raffles Girls’ will face off Chung Cheng High School (Main). Both matches will be held on March 21 at OCBC Arena Hall 1.

Scoring by Quarter
SCGS vs RGS
1st Quarter: 18–7
2nd Quarter: 15–5 (33–12)
3rd Quarter: 18–6 (51–18)
4th Quarter: 8–8 (59–26)

Top Scorers
SCGS
Crystal Nathasha D/O Mathi Vanan (#9) – 18 points
Tori Chua (#7) – 14 points

RGS
Loh May Shann (#8) – 8 points
Charmaine Ng (#12) – 8 points

SCGS Roster
Fatin Nazura Bte Mohammad Rafi (#4), Haziera Bte Hairudinsah (#5), Jovys Woo Sze Lee (#6), Tori Chua (#7), Rachel Tan Rui En (#8), Crystal Nathasha D/O Mathi Vanan (#9), Wee Yi-Ning Freda (#10), Rachel Ang Rui Ci (#11), Margaret Suriya (#12), Nur Nadia Bte Abdul Ghani (#13), Alisa Sarah Bte Jefri (#14), Joanie Phua Wen Xi (#15)

RGS Roster
Ethel Tan (#3), Cassandra Seah (#5), Kaitlyn Cheong (#6), Loh May Shann (#8), Lwynn Ng (#11), Charmaine Ng (#12), Jamie Tan (#13), Natasha Sanghar (#17), Ong Zhen Ying (#22), Alesha Johannes (#23), Gladys Chua (#32), Nicole Tng (#50)

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