Story and photos by Zachary Foo/Red Sports.

Aruna D/O Vadivelu (NJC #21) puts up a shot against VJC #28. Aruna was joint top scorer with eight points. (Photo 1 © Zachary Foo/Red Sports)

Singapore Basketball Centre, Friday, May 10, 2019 — National Junior College (NJC) beat Victoria Junior College 28–21 in a low-scoring affair in the quarter-finals of the National A Division Girls Basketball Championship.

Aruna D/O Vadivelu (NJC #21) and Nicole Lee (NJC #7) led all scorers with eight points apiece, while VJC #6 and VJC #2 put up eight and six points respectively for their team.

The first quarter was a close affair between both teams as they struggled to put points on the board. NJC moved the ball around the court efficiently and generated open looks, but were unable to convert. VJC had little opportunities throughout the quarter, but made shots when it mattered.

The second quarter was another battle of attrition, where both teams had scarce opportunities to score. NJC kept pace with VJC by making their free throws as they rarely scored from open court. VJC got to the rim with ease, but could not convert on any lay-ups. However, a well-worked full court press by NJC resulted in an easy fast break lay-up, putting NJC up by two going into the second half.

NJC gradually pulled away in the second half. Timely shots by Nicole Lee (NJC #7) and Aruna D/O Vadivelu (#21) helped NJC to extend the lead. They managed to tighten down their defence in the final quarter, grinding their way out to eventually come away with the victory.

NJC is now second in Group Z with seven points, while VJC is now fifth in the group with five points. NJC will next play Raffles Institution in their final match, while VJC will face ASRJC.

Scoring by Quarter
NJC vs VJC
1st Quarter: 7–7
2nd Quarter: 6–4 (13–11)
3rd Quarter: 8–5 (21–16)
4th Quarter: 7–5 (28–21)

Top Scorers
NJC
Aruna D/O Vadivelu (#21) – 8 points
Nicole Lee (#7) – 8 points

VJC
(#6) – 8 points
(#2) – 6 points

NJC Roster
Amanda Han (#1), Rachel Tan (#2), Ng Mu Rong (#3), Agnes Lee (#5), Nicole Lee (#7), Dong Ke Wen (#8), Joanna Wei (#9), Kimi Neo (#15), Aruna D/O Vadivelu (#21), Shannon Or (#33)

VJC Roster
We were unable to obtain the roster for Victoria Junior College. If you know any of the players, kindly post them in the comments below and we’ll update the post. Thanks.

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