B Division Nationals Round 1

This is the summary of  Round 1 of the B Division Nationals competition.

RI vs Dunman High School
The first game of the Nationals. In our most recent friendly match against Dunman High during the December holidays, we lost to them by 1 point in OT. This time round, we were determined to get the win. However, due to the first game jitters, we committed many unforced errors. In addition, their key player, #11, was red hot at the start of the game and scored an astounding 15 of the team's 22 point in the first half. At the end of that half, we were down by 8 points. However, in the second half, we played better defense and eventually took the game by 7 points.
Result: RI 43 - 36 DHS

RI vs Seng Kang Secondary
This was the second and most crucial game for round 1. A win would guarantee us a spot in the quarter finals. We started the game extremely well both offensively and defensively and created an 8 point lead at the 5th minute mark of the first quarter. However, we allowed the opponents to catch up and tie the game in the same quarter. The second quarter was a close fight with the scoreline virtually tied. However, in the second half, we proved that our stamina was superior to that of the opponent and pulled away with the win. However, we committed many fouls in the process with most of our key players logging more than 3 fouls each.We should definitely be mindful of our fouls as it might prove costly to us in the future.
Result: RI 47 - 41 SKS

RI  vs Unity Secondary
This was an eye opening match because we were simply outclassed by the opponent. Nevertheless, there were still many learning points to  take away from this game. Firstly, we  need to secure the defensive rebounds. To achieve this, all five players on the court need to actively box out the opponents. Having a sever height disadvantage, it is impossible for us to out-jump the opponent, especially when the opponent is 2 meters tall! Therefore, boxing out is crucial and we must always remember that we cannot afford to give the opponent second chances. Secondly, every minute on the court should be treasured. In this game, all of our bench players got their chance to play. These minutes should definitely be treasured because it is an opportunity to gain experience and become better. This is especially so for those secondary 3 players who will be the key players of their team next year.
Result: RI 26 - 60 Unity


This is the schedule for Round 2 of the Nationals:
RI vs Dunman Sec on 11 April (Wed) at 3pm
RI vs New Town Sec on 13 April (Fri) at 2.45pm
RI vs Jurong Sec on 16 April (Mon) at 4pm
Venue is Clementi Sports Hall.