For the Archives: Match Support Messages

It's been a while since I've posted here but I was browsing through the RJ batch '13's group messages and found our old messages for getting supporters:

(2012)

Against HCI in the Semi-finals:
Hi everyone, the guys basketball team has made it to the semi-finals of the nationals, but has unfortunately came in second in their group. We'll be playing arch-rivals HCI on Friday at 1.30pm at Singapore Basketball Centre, which is a short walk from Paya Lebar MRT.

It's going to be a tough fight (tougher than the finals, if we get there) with our team's injuries and plethora of individual talent HCI possesses. Nevertheless, we will not concede defeat without a fight in our attempt to upset the defending champions, who has yet to win a game by less than 40 points this season. (anything >10 is a blowout)

So, if you know any of the players or can't catch the NBA playoffs, this would be a perfect opportunity to catch some action. We saw that the crowd support made a huge difference in the girl soccer finals and hope the school can once again rally to be a sixth man on our side of the court.

P.S: You all can stay for the girls semis against SRJC as well at 3pm!

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(2013)

Against AJC in 2nd round:

Hi everyone, the Boys Basketball team will be playing rivals AJC (last year's finalists) on Wednesday at 3:30 at the Basketball Association of Singapore. It will be a BIG game as we have previously lost to the team by a substantial margin in a pre-season friendly (in our defense, we played the game right after our GP paper), but our much improved arsenal of tactics and trenchant style of play shall attempt to avenge our previous defeat.

This is a MUST WIN game and a defeat would signify a clash against the titans of HCI and their plethora of national team players and dunkers, which we hope to avoid until the finals, where it would be a more interesting spectacle for the supporters as we attempt to delegitimize them on the grandest stage of all.

Thus, we would really need everyone's support as we go to war and prepare to stake our lives against AJC and desist their attempt to return to the finals, as we make the case for ours. Whether it's a friend you're supporting or an ardent basketball lover, the palpable intensity of the game will be too much to let by, and we promise not to disappoint in our efforts.

If you would like to make your way down to the event venue and witness greatness, please follow the instructions from this link! http://gothere.sg/maps…

We hope to enter the game buttressed by our dearest friends and schoolmates, and your presence will inspire us and allow us to take our game to another level. See you there!

———————

Against Dunman High in 2nd round:

After a long grind it out match against AJC that involved many bated breaths, adrenaline rushes and never-seen-before technical fouls, our boys team unfortunately fell to AJC 47-52.

However, not all hope is lost and we shall not remained bowed, as we look to hang on to clinch a spot in the semi-finals against Dunman High, also victims of AJC. Both teams remain bloodthirsty in their attempt to cement and engrave their worth in this year's basketball medals, and as we leave nothing to chance, neither would Dunman.

Once again, we turn our heads to the school as we leave everything on the court to avoid a disgraceful elimination in the second round for the first time since... time immemorial. For those of you who were kind and fortunate enough to turn for the AJC game, we know that you saw us fighting for our lives, playing for the name in front of our jerseys, as well as the numbing excitement a basketball game entails.

If you and your friends would like to make your way down tomorrow, it is at the Basketball Association of Singapore near Paya Lebar, next to Geylang East Swimming Complex. It will be at 330, so come on down, especially if your school ends before that!

If it comes down to a guts game we shall be unfaltering.

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Against HCI in Semi-finals:

Dream: Winning starts with a compelling vision. It is a seed that’s planted in your mind, and it grows every single day, with you feeding it with your desires, your hopes and dreams, insecurities and fears, passion and hate. Some people live in a dream world, and some face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.

Team: It’s not a collective group of individuals or talented players; it’s a connection that transcends and unites, a duty and responsibility, that my actions are inextricably tied to yours, and so are the results. The companions that have battled beside you and tasted sweet victory and bitter defeat together, the ones that have so much to give that the absence of just one of them will make you feel like you’ve lost a part of your soul.

Fight: Every player can imagine himself/herself winning it; they close their eyes and unbelievable things happen. Then they wake up and realize, the dream is no longer enough. They want MORE. When the grind gets going and times get tough, our effort will be relentless. We’ll give our opponents 40 minutes of hell, until the buzzer sounds, until it’s all said and done.

Win: When dream, team, fight, have been realized, nothing will stand in our way. In victory or in defeat, we will be champions, victorious in our own right.

The thrilling match against Dunman High saw us trailing by 8, only to come back with a 16-0 run and hold the opponents scoreless for the last 8 minutes to win 43-33. Now, we brace ourselves for the showdown against the monolithic entity known as HCI. After 7 years of supremacy and reign as the heralded champions, tomorrow marks the day where we shall impose our will and dethrone these former kings. Many might doubt us for that presumptuous premise, but 6 years in Raffles Basketball has taught us to exceed expectations, to play above our potential. This is what we live for, what we count on, and tomorrow we shall set this spirit at our highest.

There’s a bus for supporters (one way) to Paya Lebar tomorrow at 1:15 so if your school ends before that, please make your way down and give us your all. There’ll be the girls semi-finals vs Nanyang at 1:30, and the guys semi-finals at 2:30. We hope for everyone to be down and be the sixth man on the court, spurring the team on as we stake everything to emerge victorious.

For those of you who came down for the previous games, we thank you for your support, and that tomorrow, no matter how it plays out, remember this:

Count on Gryphons Basketball.

Count on DTFW.

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Against AJC (again) for 3rd/4th placing:

3rd/4th placing game. Monday, 2:30pm @ BAS.

No more cryptic messages, no more mercurial exhortations or esoteric allusions. No more motivational posts.

Be there, or be square.

All supporters are welcomed.

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C Division South Zone Round 2 Game 5: Raffles Institution vs Catholic High School (23-37)

Raffles Institution vs Catholic High School (23-37)

               Knowing the outcome of this game would hardly affect our chances to advance, we walked into the court with a “nothing to lose” mind-set. After the tip-off, neither team was able to get their engines running as the points remained at zero. Unlike previous games, we did not panic when faced with opponents’ full court pressure. We were able to advance the ball fairly easily but had difficulties meeting the basket. Then, we managed to break the tie. After being fouled, our side was able to knock down both foul shots, taking the first blood of the game. However, Catholic High School (CHS) returned us with a shot, tying the game once again. CHS then had a little bit of foul trouble as we scored the next 6 points all by free throws. While several mistakes made by us allowed them to nail in a three pointer and several baskets. The first quarter ended with both teams tied closely at 10-10.

               In the second quarter, things began to go downhill. CHS stepped up to the challenge, putting in more effort on their full court pressure. More intensity was seen in their defense and we had troubles moving the ball forward. Our attempts to score the ball were seen futile as our point remained at 10. However in CHS’s side, they were able to meet the basket and soon, a difference was seen between the scores. CHS then sealed off the first half with a three pointer, which took their lead to a further 6 points.

               As we stepped into the second half, we knew something had to be done. Our efforts to close the gap were however valiant. Whenever we made a shot, CHS would respond by returning one. This continued throughout the third quarter which ended with a score of 26-19.

               The final quarter was where we had our downfall. It was our last chance to catch up the point difference but we did not make use of it. Players were getting lethargic and the defense was loosening up. CHS grasped this opportunity, taking the lead to even higher and even manage to knock down an and-one.  They were then able to drag the game on with a steady lead. The final game of our season then concluded with CHS winning, with a final score line of 37-23.

               In the first quarter, we were able to keep up with the pace of the game. However, we lost up in the later parts due to our poor stamina. In CHS’s side, players were frequently substituted in and out of the court, allowing all the legs on court to be fresh and energetic. However, the players on our side were seen panting for their breath after each chase and not able to keep up with the fast pace of the game. This probably resulted in the downfall of our team in the second and fourth quarter.

               Even though our season has come to a stop, we still had tons of good times with one another, as a team. Growths were seen as a team throughout the entire season. At first, we would panic at the sight of full court pressure and afraid to attack the basket. Now, we are much better in those areas. Chemistry also improved significantly in the team, with balls being passed through the court more often. Alas, it was a real pity as these improvements were only seen later in the season, with players peaking only at Round 2. As the team, blood was bled, tears were dropped and sweat was shed. We really enjoyed these fantastic games as a team, and the joy seeing one another improving.

               We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our teachers-in-charge, all those who came down to support us during the games and most of all, our coaches. We would not have even made through the first round if not for you. It really meant a lot when our teachers-in-charge or old boys talked to us before and after the games. We were better prepared and learnt about our mistakes, as well as how to improve them. Our coaches did a phenomenal job, ensuring the team’s discipline, plays on the court and the will to achieve our dream. Even though our goal was not met, we still learnt many valuable lessons from this year’s season. This would definitely allow us to have a better game next year, no matter if we are B Div or C Div.  It was wonderful to be able to play by your side, thank you all for the fantastic season given! 

Points by Quarter

                                     1st ------- 2nd ------- 3rd ------- 4th

RI:                                 10               4               5               4

CHS:                            10             10               6             11

C Division South Zone Round 2 Game 4: Raffles Institution vs Pei Cai Secondary School (39-25)

Raffles Institution vs Pei Cai Secondary School (39-25)

               The game began with both teams not being able to pull away. Struggles were seen on the court as our players forced offences and failed to defend Pei Cai properly. They were left many open spaces and they took the opportunity to close the gap. After the end of the first quarter, we were only 1 point ahead. The 2^nd quarter did not work out too well either. Not a single basket was made for the first 5 minutes or so. Only 6 points were managed to be scored by us while Pei Cai just nailed a single three pointer. Seeing our attempts to increase the lead were not working, we knew the next quarter was going to be crucial.

               With a steadfast resolve, we moved on to the 3^rd quarter, where things were getting only better and better. Our point guard, Bryan clicked well with our left handed forward Jia Wei. Pei Cai’s offence was getting lazier and we grasped this chance, intercepting many passes. These passes were then outleted to our PG, who then made many wonderful passes to Jia Wei, allowing him to go on a 12 point scoring spree, stretching the gap further. By the end of the 3^rd quarter, we were already leading by an assuring 13 points.

               In the final quarter, things were taken slowly as we slowed our pace down. Shots were pouring in from both side, but we still maintained the lead and we eventually took this lead to the final whistle. The game concluded with us winning by 14 points.

               Even though this game was not really welled played, we could see chemistry building up in the team, especially from the PG. What could have been an easy game we instead faced difficulties and struggled to take a steady lead. We hope to see a better performance next game which would be against Catholic High School. The match between Fairfield and CHS concluded with CHS emerging as victors, a score line of 39-36. It would definitely be a tough game on Wednesday and we would put in all of our effort, no matter we advance into Top 4 or not. 

Points by Quarter

                                           1st ------- 2nd ------- 3rd ------- 4th

RI:                                         9                6            15               9

PCSS:                                  8                3              6               8

C Division South Zone Round 2 Game 3: Raffles Institution vs Henderson Secondary School (56-32)

Raffles Institution vs Henderson Secondary School (56-32)

               The game started off pretty well for our side. Despite them putting on quite a pressure on us, we were able to advance the ball rather easily. Our shots were also falling in with a high percentage from the inner area. However, Henderson’s key players, #6 & #7 did not give up. #6 is a skillful right hander while #7 is an adept at left hand. #6 stepped up to the challenge, managing to drive into our defense and knocked down all 9 points Henderson scored in the first quarter. Our box-out was not working out too, allowing Henderson to get many offensive rebounds, going for another try at offence. At one point of the 2^nd quarter, we were only leading by a mere 4 points. The first half then ended with us taking a steady 11 point lead.

               Coming into the second half, we came back strong and adjusted our defense, closing down the lane for #6 or #7 to drive. This forced them to take 3 point shots instead which did not fall in as successfully as their drives. Even though our defense began to click, we did not overlook our offence. We were able to break their defense with ease and also went for many fast breaks. More rebounds, both offensive and defensive, were seen in our hands and this helped us to stretch the lead to even more. In the 3^rd quarter, we only allowed Henderson to score 4 point while we increased the lead by a further 11 points.

               But in the final quarter, our offence started to fell apart. Everyone was rushing the ball for offence, resulting in low shot percentage and many unnecessary turnovers. Henderson grasped these chances well; making quite a number of lay ups and even an and-one. The game then ended with us emerging as victors, taking a closer step to Top 4 while Henderson is unfortunately eliminated.

               Although we beat Henderson with a high lead, players are reminded not to get complacent. We have to consider the factor that Henderson was already eliminated before playing with this, this could cause their players to have a low morale, not giving all they got. But on the bright side, we also did wonderful as compared to previous games. Even more improvements were seen as players started to show more confidence in offence. The next game would be against Pei Cai. They are not to be belittled as they defeated us last year and emerged as South Zone 2^nd. This victory has drawn us closer to a spot in Top 4. Fairfield will be playing Catholic High next Monday, before our match, this will be crucial as it would decide our chances in advance. We would definitely not give up and continue to fight hard for our common dream.

Points by Quarter

                                1st ------- 2nd ------- 3rd ------- 4th

RI:                            14             15            15             12

HSS:                          9                9              4            10

C Division South Zone Round 2 Game 2: Raffles Institution vs Holy Innocents' High School (50-37)

Raffles Institution vs Holy Innocents' High School (50-37)

               The game began to our disadvantage as HIHS nailed in two baskets, leading the game at 4-0. At first, we were facing difficulties in advancing the ball due to their half court pressure. However, we fought back hard and soon caught up with them. Our offence then went at a steady pace and we ended the 1^st quarter with a 7-7 tie.

               As the 2^nd quarter began, energy filled our players and we soon picked up our rhythm. We were successful in breaking their defence and the shots started pouring in. But HIHS did not give up. The 2^nd quarter ended with neither team being able to pull away. But in the 3^rd quarter, we were able to attack with ease and our offence ran off like a well-oiled engine. Soon the gap was stretching further and further as we outscored them a total of 12 points.

               In the last quarter, both teams began to slacken and the foul trouble came in. With 4 team fouls on both teams, we were both granted with many easy free throws. As compared to previous games, our shot percentage rose and we earned most the point scored by free throws. The game concluded with us as victors and we currently stand with a 1-1 win loss record.

               Overall, some improvements were seen, mainly with the offence. More players were seen attacking the basket and our offence ran off at a steady pace, unlike last time when we tend to rush the ball under pressure. The next game would be against Henderson. It would be important as we have to win that so that we would not we knocked out of Round 2. It would definitely be a challenge to us but we would keep the fighting spirit and work towards our dream of being in the Top 4.

Points by Quarter

                               1st ------- 2nd ------- 3rd ------- 4th

RI:                             7             17             14            12

HIHS:                       7             13               6             11

C Division South Zone Round 2 Game 1: Raffles Institution vs Fairfield Methodists School (27-66)

Raffles Institution vs Fairfield Methodists School (27-66)

               The game started off badly for us as Fairfield got hot on their hands. Their full court pressure killed off any attempt by us trying to advance the ball. Our weak defence plus messy passes allowed Fairfield to take a huge lead, going on a 14-0 run. We were unable to make any successful offences and only managed to score 2 points in the 1^st quarter, whereas Fairfield scored 17.

               The onslaught continued on in the 2^nd quarter, where the same situation happened: errant passes, lazy defence, and weak offence. Fairfield increased their lead further by knocking down three 3-pointers in a row. As the 2^nd quarter ended, Fairfield was already leading us by a total of 28 points. The situation did not get any better in the second half, where the players on court were all out of breath, due to their weak stamina. This resulted in slackly movement and passes of the ball, granting Fairfield loads of scoring chances, and they 

grasped them well, scoring a total of 21 points in the 3^rd quarter. In the last quarter, the situation got a little bit better. Fairfield was slower in their full court pressure and this allowed us to make a few baskets. Our players then picked up momentum and shots started pouring in, mainly from fast breaks. The game soon concluded with Fairfield emerging as victors with a 39 point win.

               Overall, our defence was rather weak in the match, allowing Fairfield to pick up many easy baskets, both from the 3 point line and inside. Fairfield knocked down a total of 9 three pointers, which added up to more than one-third of their total score. As usual, we also made loads of turnovers under the pressure of the opponent’s full court defence. However, some improvements were seen in this game as players started to attack the basket more daringly unlike the last few games, where little people were actually going for the shot. The next game with Holy Innocents’ will be crucial as it will decide whether we stay, or go home. The next few games would also be challenging, but we would not give up easily and fight our best for a spot in the Top 4. 

Points by Quarter

                                     1st ------- 2nd ------- 3rd ------- 4th

RI:                                   2                4              6             15

FMS:                            17              17            21             11

C Division South Zone Round 1 Game 3: Raffles Institution vs Guanyang Secondary School (23-40)

Raffles Institution vs Guanyang Secondary School (23-40)

 

Points by Quarter

 

                            1st ------- 2nd ------- 3rd ------- 4th

RI:                           0              5            13              5 

GSS:                       3            16              8             13

 



The game started off with neither teams being able to attack well. Both teams did not manage to get their engine running as the point remained 0-0. Guanyang then grasped their chance well, scoring a three pointer after a minor mistake in our defence. The first quarter then ended with only a score line of 3-0.

Second quarter was where the onslaught began. Guanyang’s full court pressure was working out extremely well and many bad passes were made by our team. With each inbound we tried to make, Guanyang went up hard against us, forcing us to make many weak passes. The opponent then made lots of easy lay ups from these turnovers. We were managed to score a mere 5 points in the second quarter, compared to Guanyang’s 16 points. The problem continued on in the third quarter. But however, towards the end of the third quarter, energy started getting back to us as we picked up momentum, getting a 6-0 scoring streak, dragging the point difference to 9 points.

Unfortunately, the problem that we encountered previously came back haunting us in the fourth quarter. Most of the time, we were unable to bring the ball up to half court and when we did, all it took was an errant pass to get the ball on Guanyang’s possession. From these mistakes, Guanyang went on a 9-0 run, completely killing off our momentum from the previous quarter. Eventually, Guanyang emerged victors with a final score of 40-23.

Today’s game was very poorly played, this resulted us as 2^nd in our group. Guanyang was able to shut down our attempt to advance the ball with their full court pressure. This made our players panicked and not dare to offend, thus resulting in many weak passes and turnovers. Our offence was also extremely weak, with no one daring to go for the basket. Also we have lost this match; we would still be advancing into Round 2 as 2^nd in the group. Here’s our match ups for Round 2:

Fairfield Methodist School

Holy Innocents' High

Peicai Secondary School

Henderson Secondary School

Catholic High School

The challenging opponents we would be facing would be Fairfield and Catholic High. We understand that this would be hard for us, but we would not give up and cotinue to fight on. We already have nothing to lose and would fight hard for a spot for Top 4.

C Division South Zone Round 1 Game 2: Raffles Institution vs NJC (31-25)

Raffles Institution vs NJC (31-25) OT

The game started off with NJC winning the tip-off and making the first basket. The two teams started trading baskets with neither sides being able to pull away. Neither our defense nor offence was working out very well. This resulted in many turnovers being made by us while attacking. Once again, the same problem occurred in Game 1 happened with this game too: our 2-2-1 full court press. The opponent easily dribbled and passed past our defense and made several easy baskets, while our offence still did not work out. By the end of the 1^st half, we were only leading by a mere 5 points.

As the 2^nd half began, both teams were not making any baskets and the 3^rd quarter ended with us scoring only 1 point and NJC reducing the gap to only 3 points. This was caused by our poorly executed offence. We were not playing according to the plays. We were also not able to make many easy baskets. Overall, the whole offence was played in a very rush manner. Both teams made a lot of team fouls and we were awarded with a lot of free-throws. However, we were not able to grasp these chances and had low percentage foul shots.

As the fourth quarter began, NJC made a fierce retaliation, diving for every loose ball. The bad defense by us and a few easy drives by NJC were the only thing needed for them to tie us. With around 30 seconds ticking on the clock, and the scores tying at 23-23, we tried to make one last offence. However, this was proved futile as the last drive of the quarter made by us got rejected by the NJC post. Now with just around 2 seconds on the clock, NJC made a shot and the shot merely missed by inches, bouncing off the metal.  As the whistle marked the end of the 4^th quarter and the beginning of overtime, we knew it was either win or go home.

In the OT, we stopped our full court press and instead retreated back to playing 2-3 zone. We slowed down our offence pace and not long after, a basket was made by us and we were back in the lead. A few more interceptions and fast breaks increased our lead and we finished OT winning 8-2. The game concluded with the final score of 31-25.

This game was played rather poorly and a lot of improvements could be done. Our 2-2-1 full court pressure and defense needs a lot of adjustment. Another weak point of our team was our foul shots. We were granted a lot of free-throws in the game and our shot percentage was only around 50%. The next game against Guanyang will be at 11.10am, 8^th July at CCAB. It would definitely be a challenge to us but it is a must win game as the victory would give us a better chance of emerging into Top 4 from Round 2. 

Points by Quarter

                     1st ------- 2nd ------- 3rd ------- 4th ------- OT

RI:                   9               9               1             4              8

NJC:                8                5                3              7               2

C Division South Zone Round 1 Game 1: Raffles Institution vs Outram Secondary School (67-27)

Raffles Institution vs Outram Secondary School (67-27)

The game started off well with us driving in and attacking the basketball with ease. Our offense was working out smoothly with high percentage scores from the drives. However, our full court 2-2-1 pressure was not working as well as it was the first time that we were using it. Even though we made a few interceptions and steals, we had also allowed the opponent to break our defense and score quite a number of easy fast breaks. Also, a lot of fouls were made during the full court pressure and due to the high number of team fouls, the opponent team were awarded with several easy free-throws. Despite that, we had a steady lead of 14 points by the end of the 3^rd quarter.

It was the last quarter that some improvements were seen in our full court pressure. We made many excellent interceptions and efficient fast breaks, bringing up our lead to even more. Still, we still made several mistakes and allowed easy fast breaks by the opponent teams. The game concluded in us emerging as victors, winning by 40 points.

Overall, the main problem faced in this game was the full court pressure and the rebounds. We were very unfamiliar with the 2-2-1 pressure and made many unnecessary fouls in the process. Many of us also lacked the stamina to play 2-2-1 for 4 quarters, resulting in us not able to chase for every fast break. For the rebounds, we had neither a great number of defensive rebounds nor offensive rebounds. In order for improvements to be made, more effort must be put into the training, with us paying extra attention to the 2-2-1, stamina and the boxing out.

Though we had won this season opener game with a significant lead, we must not be complacent and must play well in the next two matches. It is a must for us to win the next two matches as emerging the top in Round 1 would make Round 2 easier for us, thus granting us a greater chance of advancing to Top 4. 

Points by Quarter

                 1st ------- 2nd ------- 3rd ------- 4th

RI:             17             10            10            30

OSS:          7               9               7              4

B Division Nationals Round 2 Game 3: Raffles Institution vs ACS (Barker Road) (54-75)

Raffles Institution vs ACS (Barker Road) (54-75)


In a rematch of the South Zone finals, we faced ACS once again for the 3rd time this season. When the game started however, we were a mess offensively as we committed silly mistakes and turnovers that lead almost always to fast break opportunities for the opponents. This prevented us from scoring on one hand while allowing ACS to streak ahead to a blazing 20-3 lead at one point in the first quarter.

The second quarter began and we finally started hitting some of our outside shots and drives to the hoop. But ACS stepped up to the challenge and poured in points as well to match our scoring output, allowing them to nurse a 16 point lead still entering the halftime break.

However, our efforts were valiant as we were unable to close the gap effectively as it seemed like every time we got on a little of a run, ACS would respond with some timely baskets and stop the run. This allowed them to maintain a 15+ point lead throughout most of the game and eventually the game ended as we fell to ACS by a final margin of 21 points.

Although our season has ended, we still had a crazy run and had many valuable experiences together as a team. Throughout this season, bonds within the team has undoubtedly grown stronger and we have learnt to lean on one another in the good times and the bad. We worked hard throughout the journey, shedding blood sweat and tears on the court together and enjoyed the fruits of our labour. We would like to sincerely thank all the old boys that came down to support us and cheer us on, giving us their valuable guidance and advice. It really meant a lot to the whole team and we learnt a lot every time you guys talked to us before, after and during the game. We would not have achieved what we had achieved without the phenomenal job that our teachers in charge have done as well as the work that our coach, Coach Lim, had put in to making sure that the team had discipline and worked hard towards our goal. Alas, we conclude this incredible season with a South Zone gold medal and a top 8 placing in the Nationals...

B Division Nationals Round 2 game 2: Raffles Institution vs North Vista Secondary (42-64)

Raffles Institution vs North Vista Secondary (42-64)


Points by Quarter:

             1st-------2nd-------3rd-------4th
RI-------14--------8----------7--------13
NVS----18-------10---------12--------24


The game started off with both teams driving in and attacking the basket with much ease as we both ran our offense well, getting high percentage shots. We made use of our half court offense to get drives to the paint and one on one opportunities whereas North Vista had most of their points come off fastbreaks. It was more of the same in the 2nd quarter as we both continued to pour in points at a steady rate, neither side being able to pull away. After the first 20 mins, we were only down by 6 points.

However, it was the 3rd quarter once again which was our downfall as we started being extremely careless with the ball, turning it over at our own side of the court and giving them easy baskets as our defense could not run back in time. They also forced some of our turnovers by aggressively double teaming our players and covering passing lanes very well. This allowed them to outscore us by 5 points in the quarter and stretched their lead all the way to 11 points.

The onslaught continued as they also started crashing the offensive boards and getting many putbacks. These easy baskets allowed inside eventually blew the game wide open. While we did a good job protecting the 3 point line, making sure we limited the number of 3 point shots they made, we could not contain their drives as they were able to kick it out for 3 point shots immediately when their drives got covered. We had to pick our poison with their offense running like a well-oiled machine. Eventually their offense was too much for us to handle and they emerged victorious.

This loss has eliminated us from the Nationals for this year. However, we have not finished playing our games yet and will have a rematch once again against a familiar foe in ACS (Barker Road). Game will be played on thursday at 4pm as both us and ACS (Barker Road) have been eliminated from the Nationals with North Vista Secondary and Dunman Secondary proceeding on to the semi finals.

B Division Nationals Round 2 Game 1: Raffles Institution vs Dunman Secondary (46-64)

Raffles Institution vs Dunman Secondary (46-64)

Points by Quarter

          1st       2nd       3rd       4th
RI-----10-----17------10-----10
DSS---15------9------20-----20


The game started off with both teams trading baskets. We were able to control their halfcourt offense but had problems stopping their fastbreaks especially when we had committed a turnover or missed a shot. We also got strongly outrebounded by the opponents, who were very aggressive in crashing the offensive boards and this allowed them to get many many extra possessions. Despite this, we still held our ground and trailed only by 5 entering the 2nd.

The second quarter was when we got things going and found our rhythm as we boxed out the post players more effectively, while leaking out for fastbreaks and layups. The 3 point shot started falling for us as well and we caught up by the 4 minute mark of the 2nd quarter, eventually taking a 3 point lead into halftime as we lead 27-24.

However in the 2nd half, what caused us troubles in the 1st quarter came back to haunt us as we constantly gave up easy layups and failed to stop them from converting on their fastbreak attempts as they attacked the basket with much aggression. Their aggressiveness gave them many layups, drew fouls for them, and sometimes even got and ones. We were able to keep the gap and only trailed by 7 entering the 4th quarter, cutting it down to 4 at one point. However, we were unable to stop their fastbreak drives and missed some assignments in our rotations which left them open for layups. The game finally ended with us losing by 18, but it was definitely closer than the score shows.

With this loss, the next game against North Vista will be a must win in order to keep our hopes of entering the national semi finals alive. North Vista had just played their first game against ACS (Barker Road) today and came up victorious.

B Division Nationals Round 1 Game 3: Raffles Institution vs Anglican High (57-64)

Raffles Institution vs Anglican High (57-64)


Points by Quarter:

           1st       2nd       3rd       4th
RI-----22------14------11-----10
AHS---23------9-------14-----18


The game started off with both teams having no trouble finding the basket at all as each team got off to a blazing start. Defense may have been an issue as while we were getting to the basket often, we also allowed many 3-point shots to go in. Anglican High scored 4 three pointers in the quarter and this kept them in the game as we were unable to bother the shooter enough for him to miss. The talent of their star player #6 was also on full display as he scored 9 points in the first quarter alone and was a big reason for their scoring output. Despite that, we kept the gap close and after the first only were down by a point.

In the 2nd quarter, we turned decided to shut down #6 by putting our forwards Shiva and Ivan on him. They took turns to stick to him and harassed him for the rest of the game as he got frustrated and could not receive the ball on many occasions, much less score. This change in strategy contained him for the rest of the game as after scoring 9 points in the first quarter, he scored only two field goals for the rest of the game. This allowed us to take a 4 point lead by the end of the half.

In the 3rd quarter, Anglican High decided to turn to other scoring options with much success as their point guard #5 successfully created opportunities for his teammates and also carried some of the scoring load. The other portion of scoring was handled by #11 who drained 3 three pointers in the game and ended up scoring a total of 17 points. We did not do a good job defending him properly and preventing him from getting points in this game. This allowed them to chip into the lead, but we still lead by one entering into the 4th quarter.

The 4th was when the wheels fell off for us as we got to the rim on countless occasions but just barely missed the layups that we had inside. This caused a lot of wasted possessions in which we could have scored on and gave the opponents more confidence in themselves as they eventually took the lead with about 4 minutes left in the game. With Anglican up by 5, we fought back hard, giving them all we could and cut the lead to 2 at one point. The lead from then on fluctuated between 2 and 3 for several minutes. However, we were unable to score in the waning moments of the 4th when they were up by 5 and had to resort to playing the foul game. To their credit, they were able to make their free throws and hence sealed the game by a final score of 64-57.

Although we lost this game, we would be moving on to the second round of the nationals as both us and Anglican High have emerged top 2 in the group. The following schools were in our second round draw:

Dunman Secondary
North Vista Secondary
ACS (Barker Road)

Although the matchups may be tough, we understand that nothing will come easy in the second round of the nationals no matter who we would have drawn as we will be going up against the other 7 of the top 8 schools in the whole of Singapore, fighting for a top 4 spot. We will not give up and fight hard in every game that we play and this surely will be a great experience for all of us. Now, we have once again found ourselves as underdogs and have nothing to lose...

B Division Nationals Round 1 Game 2: Raffles Institution vs Jurong Secondary (59-56) 2OT

 Raffles Institution vs Jurong Secondary (59-56) 2OT

Points by Quarter:


           1st-------2nd-------3rd-------4th-------OT-------2OT
RI-----10----------9---------8--------11-------13----------8
JSS----7-----------6--------16--------9--------13----------5


We came into this game knowing that it was a must win for us as we did not want to have it all on the line against Anglican High School, which have proven themselves to be a troublesome matchup for many schools. However, Jurong Secondary was not to be belittled as they have championship potential and has constantly gotten 2nd in the West Zone, until this year where they dropped to 3rd due to an unfortunate upset by Bukit Panjang Govt High as they lost 88-87 in the semifinals. Thus we knew that we had to come out strong in the game and make sure we get this win.

The game started off rather slow once again as both sides struggled to pour in points. However, there was definitely an improvement in comparison to the game against Yishun as we actually hit 10 pts in this quarter while holding Jurong to only 7. We did this by getting to the rim for easier looks and managed to convert 2 three pointers which were huge in giving us the edge in scoring.

The second quarter was more of the same as we continued to stretch our lead all the way to 10 at one point. We fought hard for the rebounds and continued to score consistently as we did in the first quarter, hence allowing us to pace ourselves well. However, in the last 2 mins, we let our guard down a little as we allowed them to cut the lead to 6 points by halftime.

The third quarter was an onslaught. We constantly got outmuscled by their big sized center #15 who worked extremely hard in getting offensive rebounds and put backs for his team. When he didnt get the putback, he would get fouled and was stellar from the line, scoring 6 free throws in the quarter including one from an "And-one". This gave us much problems inside. We still tried our best to keep up with them by attacking the basket ourselves and capitalising on fastbreak opportunities. However, this huge run of theirs single handedly conducted by #15 saw them through a turnaround as they led by 2 after the third quarter.

As soon as the fourth started, another onslaught began, but this time by a different post player,  #14. Not lacking in size to #15, he got many offensive rebounds and was almost perfect from under the basket. He scored all 9 points for Jurong Secondary in the fourth quarter. What made matters worse was that we had Tristen, Daran and Shao Jie each with 4 fouls. Jovi fouled out late in the fourth quarter and our woes were compounded. However, we did not give up and as we were down by 3 points 38-35 in the waning moments of the fourth quarter with around 40 seconds left, our PG Daran nailed a clutch and crucial three pointer to tie the game at 38. After both sides failed at an opportunity each to score and take the lead, we were headed to OT knotted at 38.

In the first OT, Jurong came out blazing as they immediately responded with a three pointer from their forward #12. Not long after he scored another three pointer and along with steady inside play, Jurong took a 7 point lead, with the possession of the ball in their hands and 40 seconds left on the game clock. As if that were not enough, Daran fouled out of the game as well and we we extremely short handed. However, even though there was 40 seconds left on the clock, we did not give up and just tried to get as close as we could. After they dribbled down the court and wasted about 20 seconds, they jacked up a shot and missed it. Shao Jie got the rebound and streaked down the court for a layup, got fouled and converted on both free throws to cut the deficit to 5. On the ensuing inbounds pass from Jurong, we triple teamed the ball man and came up with the steal, making another lay up to cut the deficit to 3. We had no choice after that but to foul #12, with 5 seconds left on the clock. As he had just scored 2 three pointers in the period, this did not bode well for us. However, things took a turn as he missed not one, but both free throws. Shao Jie quickly grabbed the rebound and made an outlet to our forward Anli, who streaked down the court and made a cross court pass to our other forward for a three point attempt. The buzzer sounded and the ball went in. We were headed to a second OT.

The second OT began and we got out to a quick start, as Anli confidently took a one dribble pull up jump shot which hit the bottom of the net to give us a 2 point lead. Jurong quickly responded with a layup on the other end to tie it up yet again at 53 apiece. After that, our point guard Tristen drove in for two and put us up once again by 2. We got consecutive stops and finally extended our lead to 6 as Shao Jie made 2 crucial baskets in a row. We never looked back after taking this lead and held on to win the game 59-56.

This game was a huge experience for us as very few of us actually played in an OT game, much less a 2OT game. We got a much needed win and boosted our confidence and morale, as well as teamwork as we won this with everyone sitting outside enthusiastically cheering us on and encouraging one another. This game bonded us even more as a team. With this win, we would be guaranteed a spot in the 2nd round of the nationals. Up next would be the following Monday against Anglican High School as we fight for the top seed in the group.

B Division Nationals Round 1 Game 1: Raffles Institution vs Yishun Secondary (41-29)

Raffles Institution vs Yishun Secondary (41-29)

Pts by Quarter:

           1st-------2nd-------3rd-------4th
RI------4---------6---------14-------17
YS------8--------4----------6--------11


This game got off to a miserable start as we struggled to get any kind of offense going, bricking shots from the outside while barely missing inside looks that we got. We only managed to score a mere 4 points in the first 10 minutes of the game, and scoring another 6 points in the next 10 minutes. However, we played solid defense on our own side of the floor and made sure that the opponents had to work for every point that they scored on us. Our defense was tough and we managed to keep ourselves in the game despite our horrendous shooting, as we trailed 10-12 after the first half. This was all too familiar as we found ourselves in the same situation a month ago against Guang Yang Secondary in the South Zone second round.

Coming into the second half, we knew that we had to treat it like it was a new game and come out strong. We definitely did not want to wait until the last quarter to make a huge run like we did in the 4th quarter against Guang Yang. Hence, we came out strong as we managed to rack up steals and get fastbreaks to take the lead, as well as forcing Yishun into many bad passes over our long arms, resulting in the ball dropping out of bounds. Although our offense finally started to click, we did not let up on our defensive side either, giving up only 6 points in the 3rd quarter to Yishun.

It was more of the same in the second half until there was around 2 minutes left in the game with us up by 6. Their key player and starting center #15 got an offensive rebound after his teammate's miss and got an and-one out of it. After converting the free throw, we found ourselves only up by 3. Although we failed to convert on our offensive end of the floor, when we came back on defense, we got a block and the ball was fired ahead to captain Jovi who converted on the fast break to pull the game to a 5 point margin. They called a time out and set up a play, but it was foiled by our PG Tristen who intercepted the ball, streaked all the way down for the lay up plus the foul, stretching the lead to 8 after converting on the free throw. Shao Jie also got into the action as he stole the ball at the exact same spot and went to the other end for a fast break layup as well effectively sealing the game as we found ourselves up by 10 with a little more than ten seconds left.

Although this was the first game of the nationals and we may have been not used to game conditions after not playing for 2 weeks, we definitely cannot come out the same way in the upcoming 2 games against Jurong Secondary and Anglican High, both who are extremely tough opponents. We have to find our offensive groove early while continuing to stay disciplined on defense. Cutting down on turnovers is important too as turnovers by us give the opponents a easy fastbreak layup on the other end. The next game will be played at Clementi Sports Hall on Friday at 4pm. Our opponents will be the 3rd seed in the West Jurong Secondary.

B Division South Zone Finals: Raffles Institution vs ACS (Barker Road) (68-58)

Raffles Institution vs ACS (Barker Road) (68-58)


Points by Quarter:

              1st        2nd       3rd       4th
RI--------9-------19-----26------14
ACS-----19------16------9------14


We faced ACS (BR) once again for the second time this season after losing the previous meeting by 3 points 48-51. We knew that if we were to take that extra step and claim the trophy, we had to plan well and pay attention to detail. Which was exactly what we did as we did a lot of research on our opponents, knew their tendencies, and planned our offense and defense.

The game started off as we traded baskets, eventually coming to a 6-6 tie. However, after that we started to get complacent with the ball and started turning the ball over regularly, while at the same time ACS was connecting on many of their shots and got to the basket for easy layups. They even got 3 three pointers in the first quarter alone,allowing them to pull away for their largest lead of the game and by the end of the first quarter, it was 9-19, . with us trailing by double digits.

However, we understood that the game was 40 mins long and that we still had a chance, we started to fight back slowly but surely and started to draw many fouls on their key players, forcing them to sit out. This allowed us to go on a little bit of a run as we got many free throw attempts and started to close the gap to 4 at one point, 25-29. However, once again ACS managed to pull away a little and at the end of the half, they were still up by 7.

In the 3rd quarter, the tables were turned as we started to force many turnovers from ACS and got tons of fast break points, while still getting fouled consistently. We attacked the basket the whole time and did not settle for outside shots, which was what gave us an advantage. After scoring 2 or 3 baskets in a row, the whole school supporting us started to get into it and roared everytime we hit a shot, giving us a huge morale boost while pulling down that of our opponents. Shao Jie was able to get to the basket at will while Jovi had a huge "And-one" which got the crowd to their feet. Tristen and Daran did a great job of finding the open man and controlling the pace. Probably the stand out of the game was our forward Shiva, who took on the assignment of guarding #11, their key player and starting point guard who was on fire the first half. Shiva stuck to him the whole of the second half and #11 was unable to score a point on him, allowing us to pull away. As we were able to force foul trouble from the other players, we got to the basket without resistance too. We eventually won the quarter 26-7.

In the 4th quarter, we came out with an extra sense of purpose knowing that we were up big and needed to maintain that lead. We just needed one more solid 10 minutes of playing to seal the deal. Hence, we came out with the same defensive intensity that we had in the 3rd quarter, while matching ACS point by point every single time they got close. At the 1:20 mark however, ACS scored 2 consecutive baskets and cut our lead down to 6. This was crunch time and we knew it. We responded with solid defense for the rest of the game as they didnt score after that point, while we went on to score another 2 baskets and eventually sealed the game.


This win marks the first time RI B Division basketball has clinched the South Zone championship since 2011 and the first time since 2012 that we got into the finals. The last 4 champions of the south zone since 2011 were RI, ACS, ACS and now RI again. We would like to thank all the supporters that came down to support us during the game as they were the ones that made a difference and pushed our morale sky high. As well as all our teachers in charge and coaches that came down today to cheer us on, giving us valuable advice every time they got the chance to do so. Our whole team really came in and filled up extremely well for each of us that went out and we supported each other throughout the whole game as we didnt miss a beat. Everyone played well and that was what made this win even more special.

This closes the South Zone Championships 2014. Up next, the Nationals....

B Division South Zone Semi-Finals: Raffles Institution vs Fairfield Methodist School (59-47)

Raffles Institution vs Fairfield Methodist School (59-47)


Points by Quarter:

                  1st        2nd        3rd        4th
RI----------19------12-------18------10
FMS--------8-------6--------12------21


This was a rematch of the friendly game that we had played with Fairfield last year. The friendly game last year was played at our RJC courts and we were victorious 76-56. Although we won that one, we knew that we had to treat this game seriously and play hard, not taking anything for granted. Fairfield has improved tremendously and they were unbeaten thus far in the season. We knew we had to make sure we matched their fighting spirit and follow our game plan if we were to come out with the win where it actually matters the most.

The game started out as we bolted out to a 13-3 lead early. We did this mostly by pounding the ball inside and grabbing offensive rebounds for put backs, while making sure that we secured our own defensive rebounds on our side of the floor, not giving them any second chances at the basket. The 2nd quarter was more of the same as we defended Fairfield's drive and kick well and closed out on their shooters and made them commit bad passes and turnovers. We eventually were able to take a double digit lead going into the 2nd half 31-14.

We knew that we had to come out strong in the 3rd quarter and make sure we built a larger lead. We did just that as we did not take anything for granted and treated the second half like it was a new game, coming out scoring the moment the half started with the goal of extending our lead. There was a point in time where our lead ballooned to 28 points. At the end of the 3rd quarter, we still were up big by 23.

However in the 4th quarter, Fairfield started to mount a furious rally as every basket they scored received a loud cheer from their supporters and started to build up their momentum as well as confidence. Whats more is that we started to commit unforced turnovers from bad passes and losing the ball out of bounds, giving Fairfield even more reason to cheer. Most of the points scored during this run were off our own turnovers as we lost the ball above the 3 point line, allowing them to streak to our basket for the layup. To compound our woes, our 2 point guards Daran and Tristen both exited the game with 5 fouls. At the 3 minute mark, our lead dwindled to only 10. However, we stood our ground and continued to be patient with the ball, letting time tick off the clock as much as we could and drove to the basket for fouls. We complemented this with hard defense, closing out on shooters and pressuring them into misses or forced shots and secured the defensive rebound for consecutive possessions. Eventually, the lead that we had built throughout the 3 quarters saw us through the 4th quarter and we won the game 59-47.

This win earned us a spot in the South Zone finals where we would once again face ACS (Barker Road), who won their semifinals matchup with Queensway. The game would be played on Thursday at 2:30 pm. The venue would be Jurong East Sports Hall. We are looking forward to this game as we compete to reclaim the B Division South Zone Championship for the first time since 2011. ACS (Barker Road) took home the Gold medal in both 2012 and 2013. See you on Thursday!

B Division South Zone Round 2 Game 5: Raffles Institution vs Yu Ying Secondary (49-24)

Raffles Institution vs Yu Ying Secondary (49-24)


Points by Quarter:

             1st       2nd       3rd       4th
RI-------11------20-----14------4
YYS-----3-------4-------6------11


We started off this game slow again as the score was at 2-2 for the first 5 mins of the game. However, we started to gain our momentum after an "And-one" basket from our captain Jovi which got us all pumped up while making the opponents confidence falter a little. We were able to finally get our offense going after that point and were really fortunate as YYS failed to convert on some looks inside that would have brought the game closer. We eventually got out to a first quarter lead of 11-3.

The second quarter of the game was when we really started to run away as we outscored them 20-4. We managed to get many looks inside the paint which we converted, and also connected on our shots from 3 pt range. Jovi was outstanding in the first half, as he scored all of his 14 points in the first half alone with an array of jumpshots, layups and free throws. Our PF Shao Jie racked up the assists as he was patient in the post and found Jovi on basket cuts to the rim for the easy lay up. Vice Captain Daran and Tristen did a great job of maintaining the pace during this quarter. Daran handled the ball well and found the open man while Tristen boosted our morale single-handedly with 2 three point plays in the quarter. With all these major contributors, we found ourselves with a 31-7 lead at the half.

In the 4th quarter however, our offense died down again as we could not score in the half court while fouling Yu Ying many times to put them on the line where they converted. We only managed to score through fast breaks when our forward Anli executed a beautiful in-out move for the lay up. Despite that highlight, we eventually lost the quarter 11-4. But still, the lead that we built throughout the 3 quarters was enough to see us through and we got the W.

This game allowed us to come out 2nd in our group behind ACS (Barker Road) and earned us a spot in the semi-finals which would be played against Fairfield on Monday. This win also got us into the Nationals which would be played after the zonal championships. Stay tuned for the report on Monday's game and do come down and support us if you have the time! Game will be played at CCAB.

B Division South Zone Round 2 Game 4: Raffles Institution vs Queenstown Secondary (60-15)

Raffles Institution vs Queenstown Secondary (60-15)

Points by Quarter

         1st       2nd       3rd       4th

RI----24-------8------13-----15

QS----0-------9-------2-------4

After playing hard and just coming up short last friday against ACS (Barker Road), this game was a test for us to see if we could bounce back. And bounce back we did as we got out to an early lead and never looked back, not trailing for a single minute in the game. 

The game started off with us getting steals and running out on the fastbreak, which accounted for most of our points. Even when we did not manage to get fastbreak opportunities, we still got deep into the paint for high percentage shots. This allowed us to score in bunches the moment the game started. In addition to that, we played solid defense, preventing easy cuts by the opponents as they frequently found themselves having to launch a bad shot with no time left on the shot clock. This allowed us to jump out to a huge lead in the first, 24-0, as we took away their confidence in winning the game.

The second quarter however was pretty badly played as after the 5 minute mark of the quarter, it seemed like our offense went stagnant and we could not buy a bucket. Our misses resulted in many fast break opportunities for the opponents which they converted easily. To compound our woes, we turned the ball over a lot from bad passes. This saw us eventually losing the quarter 9-8.

However in the second half, order was restored as we once again got our offense going by feeding the ball to the post players for shots around the hoop. We started to get our own share of fastbreak opportunities once again and thus we continued to extend the lead. In the end, we won the game by 45 points, 60-15.

This game was really a game to get us prepared to play Yu Ying Secondary on Wednesday. With a win, we would be advancing to the semi finals of the South Zone and earn a spot in the Nationals. Stay tuned for more! 

B Division South Zone Round 2 Game 3: Raffles Institution vs ACS (Barker Road) (48-51)

Raffles Institution vs ACS (Barker Road) (48-51)


Points by Quarter

             1st       2nd       3rd       4th
RI-------11------13-----12-----12
ACS----12-------17----12------10


This game started off with us trading baskets at an equal pace while maintaining our defense as we started getting into our offense early, hitting shots to open the game. We actually even had a 11-8 lead at the 2 minute mark of the 1st quarter, but Barker started generating offense by themselves by passing it to their point guard #11, to make plays or score points. This allowed them to eventually have the slight advantage over us, 12-11.

The 2nd and 3rd quarter were more of the same as we matched them pretty much point for point throughout this period of time. In the 3rd quarter, we were down by as much as 11 points at one point in time, due to us turning the ball over and allowing them to get easy fastbreaks on the other hand, which they were really good at. But we fought back to close the gap back to 5 by the end of the third, which was the lead they had originally during halftime.

Once we entered the 4th quarter, we continued to fight back and both sides traded many baskets. The Barker lead constantly fluctuated from 3 to 7 as it was a back and forth game. Eventually, it came down to a 3 pt game with more than a minute left on the clock. After running some time off the clock, #11 stepped back and calmly nailed a jumper to put them up by 5 once again. However, we did not falter and came back immediately the next possession with a layup on the other side to cut it back to 3 once again. There was 40 seconds left on the game clock and they drew a foul from us, resetting the shot clock back to 14. This burned more time for them and they eventually ran the clock down to 6 seconds before taking a long 3 that was an airball. Although they missed, we could not get the ball up the court in time to get a decent shot off, and ultimately lost by a margin of 3 pts.



Improvements

We have to handle the ball better and drive the defender when we are getting pressured as they often are off balance when they are pressuring us. If we had cut down on our turnovers, they would have had less fast break opportunities and we may have taken the game. We also got to dash back on defense to prevent fast break points.



Strengths

This was a game where we found our identity back after losing it for a period of time where we were not playing good basketball at all, making silly errors. In this game, we had an underdog status and did what we do best, Fight Back. We have not had such intensity ever since the season started and we finally got back our groove from our friendly games. Though this game resulted in a loss, we pulled the gap very close and this game served as a confidence booster to get us back into the style of playing that we wanted to be at.



Our next game will be on Monday against Queenstown Secondary. We will see if we can maintain the momentum and drive that we had today and carry it over to the rest of the games that we will play for the rest of the season.

B Division South Zone Round 2 Game 2: Raffles Institution vs Guang Yang Secondary (31-18)

 Raffles Institution vs Guang Yang Secondary (31-18)


Points by Quarter:

          1st       2nd       3rd       4th
RI------3-------3------8------17
GYS---5-------6-------6------1



The game started off as both teams struggled to make a basket. We were plagued by turnovers the whole of the first half and although our defense was reasonably solid, we were way to passive on the offensive end, passing the ball around the perimeter instead of attacking the basket. Though we did not score much the first half, our defense kept the opponent's point total in check and we were only down by 5 by halftime, as the score was a miserable 11-6.

In the third quarter, we started to play even harder on defense and started to force some turnovers from Guang Yang, while taking care of the ball better. However, we still missed shots that would have been automatic for us and although we won the quarter 8-6, we still trailed 17-14 entering into the final period.

The 4th quarter was when we really got our momentum going and finally got our engines started. It started of with an "And-One" from our captain Jovi which got everyone fired up. Although he missed the free throw, we still were only down by 1 pt. We then committed a foul on our end, giving up one point to the opponents from free throws. Then a few possessions later, our Vice-captain Daran calmly drained a three pointer, giving us a 1 pt advantage. This was a huge shot and got the whole team fired up. This was a spark for us and eventually lead to 3 more three pointers and a layup, as we ended the game on a 17-1 run in the 4th quarter, pulling away for the win.



Improvements

We started off this game way too slow. We need to get into our offense quickly and capitalise on our make-able shots. Had we done this better today, the game would not have been so close to start with. We also have to be more aggressive in attacking the basket so that we can open up opportunities to score not only for ourselves, but for our teammates as well.



Strengths

We remained composed in the last quarter and we were resilient, fighting all the way to the final buzzer instead of giving up halfway. As the game progressed, we got more and more comfortable playing and eventually allowed us to pull away. This was the second game this season where we remained composed in the last quarter and came through with timely big shots.



Our next game will be on Friday against ACS (Barker Road). It would be a great test for us and we must embrace it. Game will be played at 3:30pm. Stay tuned!