Story by Daniel Yeo/Red Sports. Photos by Dylan Chua/Red Sports.
Chloe Tan (NJC #30) squares up for a three-pointer. The NJC player had a game-high 19 points in the victory. (Photo 1 © Dylan Chua/Red Sports)
Singapore Basketball Centre, Friday, May 4, 2018 — In their opening game of the second round, National Junior College (NJC) showed off their trademark defence in a 45–25 win over Anderson Junior College (AJC) in the National Girls’ A Division Basketball Championship.
With this win, National JC place first in their group with a 1-0 win-loss record. On the contrary, Anderson JC place last in the same group with a 0-1 win-loss record.
National JC were led by a locked-in Chloe Tan (NJC #30) with a game-high 19 points, while Anderson JC were led by their tandem of (AJC #1) and (AJC #9) with 11 and 10 respectively.
Right from the tip, National JC set the tone with a physical brand of basketball. Known as a team which uses defence and stamina to wear down their opponents, they employed their trademark man-to-man defence from the beginning, coupling it with a suffocating full-court press to great effect.
This was clearly seen throughout the first half, as Anderson JC were only able to convert a total of two field goals. The first quarter, however, would be littered with free throws, and thanks to that, Anderson JC came out of the first quarter with a slim 10–7 lead.
It would be quite the opposite in the second quarter, though, as they would be limited to just two points by the seamlessly switching National JC defence. On the other side of the ball, National JC would use a combination of off-ball movement and set plays to take the lead after going on an 11–2 scoring run in the quarter.
The second half saw more of the same, with National JC jumping into passing lanes and pressuring the Anderson JC ball-handler for steals.
With around eight minutes left in the game, National JC finally pulled away from Anderson JC, as they drained a pair of treys to build their lead to double digits.
As the game approached its final minutes, Chloe Tan (NJC #30) stepped up and scored six of National JC’s last 12 points to close it out – a stunning 45–25 victory for National JC.
When asked about her team’s mentality after that foul-laden first quarter gave Anderson JC the lead, Sylvia (NJC #29) said: “We were quite worried (when we gave them the lead) but we just kept our mentality strong and told ourselves to keep going. We just played hard defence and eventually turned the tables.”
Indeed, National JC had played some terrific defence throughout the game. It seemed like only two players were ever able to score the ball for Anderson JC, as (AJC #1) and (AJC #9) scored 21 of Anderson JC’s 25. National JC had also limited Anderson JC to just seven field goals made in the entire game – another indicator of that tight defence.
Sylvia aptly summed up her team’s philosophy: “We’re more of a defensive-based team, so we work on our strengths, and we try to force a turnover.”
Next, National JC will play Raffles Institution, while Anderson JC plays Dunman High School. Both games will take place at Singapore Basketball Centre on May 7, with tip-off at 2pm.
Scoring by Quarter
Anderson Junior College v National Junior College
1st Q: 10–7
2nd Q: 2–11 (12–18)
3rd Q: 6–9 (18–27)
4th Q: 7–18 (25–45)
Leading Scorers
Anderson Junior College
(#1) – 11 points
(#9) – 10 points
National Junior College
Chloe Tan Kei (#30) – 19 points
Anderson Junior College Roster
We asked for the team roster but were unable to obtain it. Please kindly leave a comment below if you know any of the players.
National Junior College Roster
Shannon Or Shao Ning (#3), Vicky Chung Tzu Chi (#4), Nicole Lee Wen Wan (#6), Cheryl Lee Xue Er (#9), Gladys Woo (#11), Glenda Lee Jia En (#15), Ang Yi Xuan (#16), Lau Yu Hui (#18), Looi Shu Wen Nicole (#19), Sylvia Yap (#29), Chloe Tan Kei (#30), Ashley Wong (#31)
More photos next page
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