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.