Raffles Institution vs Hua Yi Secondary (87-32)
Points by Quarter:
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
RI--------25-------15-------31-------16------------87
HYS-----12--------5---------2-------13------------32
This was our second friendly game of the year, playing Hua Yi Secondary School. The game was held at the RJC courts.
This game got off to a quick start as we jumped out to a big lead in the 1st quarter and lead 25-12 by the end of the first. We were able to force many turnovers and took advantage of their zone defense by swinging the ball fast, resulting in many open shots both beyond the arc and under the basket as they were unable to keep up with us. This continued all the way to the end of the first half as we held a halftime lead of 40-17.
The 3rd quarter was when we really pulled away for good as it seemed like we turned up the intensity of our 2-2-1 zone defense by a notch and they were unable to get the ball pass half court without turning the ball over. Due to the fact that they had turned the ball over at their side of the court, we were able to get easy layups the instant we came up with the steal. Our defense saw us through a 31-2 run in the 3rd quarter.
However in the 4th quarter, it seemed like we got a little too comfortable with ourselves as we were only able to score 16 points which was almost our lowest scoring quarter, while Hua Yi was able to score 13 points, the most they scored in one quarter. Hence we were only able to outscore them by 3 points in the 4th, the only quarter where we did not outscore them by double digits.
Improvements
Although we were able to cruise through the game, never trailing from the opening tip, we need to know how to play each quarter hard and consistently instead of coming out strong and letting loose at the end. This game was a very good example of us letting loose toward the end as we only won the 4th quarter 16-13. We need to maintain our energy throughout the whole game as until the final buzzer sounds anything can happen, especially in close games. Kicking this habit is a must
Our 2-2-1 defense was able to force many turnovers, but the 2nd line is still not doing a good and consistent job intercepting the passing lanes and sprinting back to help out the last man. One reason for this happening is that the 2nd line is too close to the 1st line and this increases the distance that the players on the 2nd line have to cover in order to recover and defend. So proper spacing can solve this problem
Lastly, easy baskets. We have to make sure we make our open layups. In this game, we missed many under baskets, but were able to get the 2nd rebound and even the 3rd or 4th rebounds and eventually put it back in. But this was only because Hua Yi had a pretty evident height disadvantage. We cannot expect us to be able to grab so many rebounds against stronger teams with bigger and taller post players. Hence, as long as we make it on our first attempt, we will be alright.
Strengths
We had fierce 2-2-1 defense which startled our opponents a little and allowed us to force many turnovers which resulted in easy baskets for us. Our matchup defense was good as well as we were able to force more than 5 shot clock violations during the game as they were unable to take a good shot with us harassing them around the perimeter.
We shared the ball well as we could swing it around alot, making the defense work and tiring them out, which gave us an advantage eventually as the game went on.
We were able to take advantage of our height and out-rebound them, giving us more possessions and hence more chances to score, but at the same time not allowing them to have many second chance points as for the most part they were only able to have one shot at the basket.
Though we won this game, we have to be ready for stronger opponents that are coming up and continue to work on our game and our defense. As of now, these are the 5 main areas that we need to improve on:
-Defense
-Fast break
-Rebounds
-Converting easy baskets
*-Free throws
On to the next one.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Raffles Institution vs Presbyterian High (60-53)
Raffles Institution vs Presbyterian High (60-53)
The road of preparation towards our season in January next year has begun! This was our first of many friendly games to come as we continue to get ourselves back into game shape. Our opponent today was Presbyterian High, one of the powerhouses in the North Zone. The game was played at Presbyterian High.
We started off the game strong, gaining an early edge of 10-4. They continued to fight back, but we were able to force them to take many outside shots which they were unable to convert and we were able to capitalize on their misses, creating fastbreak chances for ourselves.
In spite of their struggles from the outside, Pres High was able to get the ball deep into the post on several occasions where they were able to finish with ease, also drawing fouls from our players. They were strong inside and managed to grab many offensive rebounds for easy putbacks. This kept them in the game leading into the 2nd Quarter.
In the 2nd, RI was able to break away by sticking to our zone defense and game plan, allowing them to continue to shoot from the outside. Our full court press created turnovers which turned into easy lay ups for us as we were able to pressure the ball man and swipe the ball loose by double teaming them. This allowed us to gain a huge lead of 32-16 leading into the 2nd half.
Right at the start of the 3rd quarter, Pres High was able to knock down 2 three pointers in a row to cut our lead down to 10. This gave them a boost in morale and it looked like they were able to shake off the rust from earlier on as now they were starting to make jumpshots. We held our ground though, as we were able to still score points, keeping our lead.
However deep into the 4th quarter, Pres High was able to make a run as they cut our lead all the way down to just 52-51 with just over 3 mins left in the game. It looked like we were about to let this one slip away, as we had on numerous occasions the previous season. However, we were able to maintain calm despite the loud cheering from the opposing bench and their spectators, and knocked down a three to push our lead to 4. After they failed to convert on our side of the court, we were able to sprint down the court and get a fastbreak layup pushing it to 6. This took the air out of them and we were able to hang on to win with a final score of 60-53.
Improvements
We need to learn to box out better so as to prevent the opponents from getting 2nd chance points as when they get an offensive rebound, they get more possessions and this means that they will have more chances to put the ball in the basket than us.
We also need to cut way down on our turnovers as we were not in control many times on the fastbreak, losing the handle of the ball, or making careless passes without looking. We should also keep our eyes off the ball and look up so that we can find cutting and open teammates.
Free throw shooting was our Achilles heel once again as we missed plenty of opportunities to get points at the free throw line. As they say, "Games are won at the line", we have to make sure we convert on more of our free throws. If we had done that this game, perhaps the score would not have been that close towards the end.
For our 2-2-1 defense, the second line has to remember to rush back to prevent a 2-on-1 or 3-on-1 situation at our disadvantage. This happened alot during this game and they were able to get easy fastbreak layups. We do need to make sure we pressure the ball man as well as we often underestimated our opponents, not pressuring them and letting them shoot right in our faces.
Strengths
We played hard on defense, pressuring the ball and were able to get alot of steals which turned into easy layups. Our zone defense did its job as well as we were able to prevent many drives, forcing them to take outside jumpers which are shots of much lower percentage. We need to continue to do this well.
We were also able to maintain our cool towards the end of the game as we did not falter, but calmly made crucial shots which helped to break their momentum and which won us the game.
Today, the whole team was able to contribute as many players were able to score points and this carried over to the defensive side of the floor as they were able to play with more energy. We definitely need to have everyone on the team contribute to the scoring and not just depend on a few players. This is the only way we will go far when the season starts.
The road of preparation towards our season in January next year has begun! This was our first of many friendly games to come as we continue to get ourselves back into game shape. Our opponent today was Presbyterian High, one of the powerhouses in the North Zone. The game was played at Presbyterian High.
We started off the game strong, gaining an early edge of 10-4. They continued to fight back, but we were able to force them to take many outside shots which they were unable to convert and we were able to capitalize on their misses, creating fastbreak chances for ourselves.
In spite of their struggles from the outside, Pres High was able to get the ball deep into the post on several occasions where they were able to finish with ease, also drawing fouls from our players. They were strong inside and managed to grab many offensive rebounds for easy putbacks. This kept them in the game leading into the 2nd Quarter.
In the 2nd, RI was able to break away by sticking to our zone defense and game plan, allowing them to continue to shoot from the outside. Our full court press created turnovers which turned into easy lay ups for us as we were able to pressure the ball man and swipe the ball loose by double teaming them. This allowed us to gain a huge lead of 32-16 leading into the 2nd half.
Right at the start of the 3rd quarter, Pres High was able to knock down 2 three pointers in a row to cut our lead down to 10. This gave them a boost in morale and it looked like they were able to shake off the rust from earlier on as now they were starting to make jumpshots. We held our ground though, as we were able to still score points, keeping our lead.
However deep into the 4th quarter, Pres High was able to make a run as they cut our lead all the way down to just 52-51 with just over 3 mins left in the game. It looked like we were about to let this one slip away, as we had on numerous occasions the previous season. However, we were able to maintain calm despite the loud cheering from the opposing bench and their spectators, and knocked down a three to push our lead to 4. After they failed to convert on our side of the court, we were able to sprint down the court and get a fastbreak layup pushing it to 6. This took the air out of them and we were able to hang on to win with a final score of 60-53.
Improvements
We need to learn to box out better so as to prevent the opponents from getting 2nd chance points as when they get an offensive rebound, they get more possessions and this means that they will have more chances to put the ball in the basket than us.
We also need to cut way down on our turnovers as we were not in control many times on the fastbreak, losing the handle of the ball, or making careless passes without looking. We should also keep our eyes off the ball and look up so that we can find cutting and open teammates.
Free throw shooting was our Achilles heel once again as we missed plenty of opportunities to get points at the free throw line. As they say, "Games are won at the line", we have to make sure we convert on more of our free throws. If we had done that this game, perhaps the score would not have been that close towards the end.
For our 2-2-1 defense, the second line has to remember to rush back to prevent a 2-on-1 or 3-on-1 situation at our disadvantage. This happened alot during this game and they were able to get easy fastbreak layups. We do need to make sure we pressure the ball man as well as we often underestimated our opponents, not pressuring them and letting them shoot right in our faces.
Strengths
We played hard on defense, pressuring the ball and were able to get alot of steals which turned into easy layups. Our zone defense did its job as well as we were able to prevent many drives, forcing them to take outside jumpers which are shots of much lower percentage. We need to continue to do this well.
We were also able to maintain our cool towards the end of the game as we did not falter, but calmly made crucial shots which helped to break their momentum and which won us the game.
Today, the whole team was able to contribute as many players were able to score points and this carried over to the defensive side of the floor as they were able to play with more energy. We definitely need to have everyone on the team contribute to the scoring and not just depend on a few players. This is the only way we will go far when the season starts.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
C Division Nationals Round 1 Game 2
Raffles Institution vs Unity Secondary (46-56)
In this game against Unity, we fought very hard, knowing that we had to win this game in order to have a chance of advancing to the second round. In the first half, we were playing great basketball, shooting with confidence and putting in effort at the defensive end of the floor and fighting for rebounds. The score was very close in the first, 11-10 Unity up, but we were able to fight back in the 2nd quarter, taking a 7 point lead 20-13 at one point in the second. However, they were able to close the half well and in the third quarter, we constantly allowed them to get easily layups against us and kept fouling them, sending them to the line numerous times in the opening minutes and this allowed them to take the lead. While they were scoring with efficiency, we on the other hand were struggling with our offense, not getting a basket until mid way through the 3rd quarter. We allowed them to make quite a number of their threes and have to do a better job closing up on them on defense. The main thing that made our offense struggle in the 3rd and 4th quarters was their defense where they were constantly pressuring the ball man and denying players the ball, finishing up the possession by successfully boxing out and making sure that we had no second chances. After snatching the rebound, they used the speed of their two key players #7 and #5 to rush down the court for a fastbreak layup. This is definitely one point that we can learn from them. This defense made us panic a lot as they had their hand in our face when we got the ball almost all the time and in the end, we made a lot of rushed and bad passes to our teammates, and were impatient, not waiting for the offense to set up and not looking for open teammates. We still have to remember to call our teammates name if when we want the ball or are open as sometimes they might not be able to see us and thus it will be up to us to alert them. They eventually pulled away in the fourth as they won the game by 10 points in the end. Although we lost this game, we definitely learned a lot and gained lots of experience that we can apply to our game further down our basketball road.
In this game against Unity, we fought very hard, knowing that we had to win this game in order to have a chance of advancing to the second round. In the first half, we were playing great basketball, shooting with confidence and putting in effort at the defensive end of the floor and fighting for rebounds. The score was very close in the first, 11-10 Unity up, but we were able to fight back in the 2nd quarter, taking a 7 point lead 20-13 at one point in the second. However, they were able to close the half well and in the third quarter, we constantly allowed them to get easily layups against us and kept fouling them, sending them to the line numerous times in the opening minutes and this allowed them to take the lead. While they were scoring with efficiency, we on the other hand were struggling with our offense, not getting a basket until mid way through the 3rd quarter. We allowed them to make quite a number of their threes and have to do a better job closing up on them on defense. The main thing that made our offense struggle in the 3rd and 4th quarters was their defense where they were constantly pressuring the ball man and denying players the ball, finishing up the possession by successfully boxing out and making sure that we had no second chances. After snatching the rebound, they used the speed of their two key players #7 and #5 to rush down the court for a fastbreak layup. This is definitely one point that we can learn from them. This defense made us panic a lot as they had their hand in our face when we got the ball almost all the time and in the end, we made a lot of rushed and bad passes to our teammates, and were impatient, not waiting for the offense to set up and not looking for open teammates. We still have to remember to call our teammates name if when we want the ball or are open as sometimes they might not be able to see us and thus it will be up to us to alert them. They eventually pulled away in the fourth as they won the game by 10 points in the end. Although we lost this game, we definitely learned a lot and gained lots of experience that we can apply to our game further down our basketball road.
Monday, August 6, 2012
C Division Nationals Game 3
Raffles Institution vs Christ Church (49-24)
Points by Quarter:
15-----15-----9-----10-------Raffles
6-------5-----11-----2--------Christ Church
In this game against Christ Church, we were able to get off to a good start and early lead, and were able to get a 9 point advantage by the end of the first quarter. We never lost this lead and went on to get our first win in this year's nationals. We were able to drop the ball in to our posts to allow them to get layups better in this game in comparison to the other games. Every single one of the members in the team made a solid contribution to lead us to this win, whether it being securing our defensive rebounds, fighting hard for offensive rebounds, or stepping up to score points to help the team. Overall, everyone helped one way or the other. If we play good basketball like this more often in the future, we would be a challenge to defeat. However, the 2 players that are at the top of the key when we are doing 2-3 zone defense have to make sure they slide more and follow the cutter or else they would get into our paint with ease and this would cause them to draw the foul from our teammates which could be crucial as we cannot afford to give up silly fouls. Today was a negative example as we constantly fouled them sending to the line very often. Also, although Christ Church was unable to sink a single one of their 3-point shots, we allowed them to take way too many and we were just fortunate that they did not go in. We need to close up properly on them and put our hands up so that they will think twice before taking the shot. But anyhow, this whole season was a great run and I am sure that every single one of us enjoyed it thoroughly. We would not be advancing on to the next round as we ended up with a 1-2 win-lose record. Nonetheless, it was a very fun and meaningful experience for all of us and we will continue to work hard for future seasons. Special thanks to our coaches for their invaluable guidance and support and as well as our teachers in charge who always were there to cheer us on. We would like to thank all the members of the Raffles Basketball family who came down to support us in many of our games as well. It would not have been possible for us to come this far without all of your support!
Points by Quarter:
15-----15-----9-----10-------Raffles
6-------5-----11-----2--------Christ Church
In this game against Christ Church, we were able to get off to a good start and early lead, and were able to get a 9 point advantage by the end of the first quarter. We never lost this lead and went on to get our first win in this year's nationals. We were able to drop the ball in to our posts to allow them to get layups better in this game in comparison to the other games. Every single one of the members in the team made a solid contribution to lead us to this win, whether it being securing our defensive rebounds, fighting hard for offensive rebounds, or stepping up to score points to help the team. Overall, everyone helped one way or the other. If we play good basketball like this more often in the future, we would be a challenge to defeat. However, the 2 players that are at the top of the key when we are doing 2-3 zone defense have to make sure they slide more and follow the cutter or else they would get into our paint with ease and this would cause them to draw the foul from our teammates which could be crucial as we cannot afford to give up silly fouls. Today was a negative example as we constantly fouled them sending to the line very often. Also, although Christ Church was unable to sink a single one of their 3-point shots, we allowed them to take way too many and we were just fortunate that they did not go in. We need to close up properly on them and put our hands up so that they will think twice before taking the shot. But anyhow, this whole season was a great run and I am sure that every single one of us enjoyed it thoroughly. We would not be advancing on to the next round as we ended up with a 1-2 win-lose record. Nonetheless, it was a very fun and meaningful experience for all of us and we will continue to work hard for future seasons. Special thanks to our coaches for their invaluable guidance and support and as well as our teachers in charge who always were there to cheer us on. We would like to thank all the members of the Raffles Basketball family who came down to support us in many of our games as well. It would not have been possible for us to come this far without all of your support!
Monday, July 30, 2012
C Division Nationals Round 1 Game 1
Raffles Institution vs Anglican High School (54-55)
Points by Quarter:
1st-----2nd-----3rd-----4th
9--------11-------8------26-------
Raffles Institution
20--------8-------17-----10-------
Anglican High
In this game
against Anglican High, we got off to a rough start, trailing double digits by
the end of the first quarter. This carried on throughout the 2nd and 3rd
quarters as we were unable to find any rhythm, and they pulled the gap open to
a 17 point lead by entering into the 4th quarter. Just as everyone thought that
all hope was lost, RI went on a furious rally, and by the 2 minute mark in the
4th, took the lead for the first time all game. This was followed by a back and
forth one and a half minutes where we traded baskets, eventually ending up in
RI leading by 1 with 10 seconds left in the game. After getting the rebound, the
ball was fired up to their key player #8 and he dribbled down the court and
shot a floater over 3 of our defenders in the lane. We watched as the ball was
in the air and as the buzzer sounded, went off glass, rattled for a while in
the rim and eventually went down. The basket was ruled good and they had won
the game. It was definitely a heart breaking loss for us. One thing that we
have to work on is our under baskets and our free throws. We missed at least 15
free throws as a team in the game and had we converted on them, we could have
made a difference in the outcome of the game. There were also so many easy
chances under the basket that we all were unable to convert. We really have to
make sure we make our layups as chances like these are unable to come by. On
the bright side however, we showed the true Rafflesian spirit as we fought back
furiously from being down by 17 in the 4th quarter which was no easy task. This
is definitely a credit to all our players as we all contributed in this rally
and we showed what our team was really capable of. If we continue to play like
this, it would definitely take a lot out of our opponents to take us down. It
was definitely a disappointing end to what was an incredible rally, but we
should be encouraged by this game and bring our best effort against Unity
Secondary this coming Wednesday.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
C Division 3rd and 4th Placing Match
Points by Quarter:
1st-----2nd-----3rd-----4th
17-------9------14------12-------Raffles
13------10-------7------14-------Fairfield
In this game against Fairfield, we did not have much trouble
scoring the ball as we used our height to our advantage. However, our defense
was our downfall as we did not closeout on their forwards and point guard,
giving them wide open looks at the rim, and knocking their 3 pointers down.
This was what kept them in the game throughout this whole match. At halftime,
the game was still hanging in the balance, with RI only leading by 3 points,
26-23. But it was another story in the 3rd as we were able to pull away and
extend our lead, not failing to return the favour when we were scored on. As
the fourth went on, we thought we had the game, but one key turnover and
breakaway layup brought Fairfield within 4 points, 48-44 with 54 seconds left
to play. In the next possession, we were unable to get the basket, but stole
the ball not long after they got the rebound as they could not hang on to it
and scored a layup, pushing our lead to 6 points. Finally, they went for a 3
but could not get it to fall, and we secured the rebound. When they fouled us
to stop the clock, we converted on both our free throws and iced the game. This
was a very exciting game, but on the downside, it proves that we have a lot to
work on if we want to go far in the nationals. We cannot assume that our
opponents are unable to shoot it from behind the arc, and just leave them wide
open. We have got to open our eyes and look for both our low and high
posts, not only our low post. We must
learn to slow the pace down and not be too rushed as if we are too rushed, we
will get very tired and at the same time, would not be able to get any shots to
fall. We did rebound the ball quite well and were able to get some offensive
rebounds when our teammates missed. We escaped with the win, but definitely have
to work harder as the nationals approach. This game was our last game of the
2012 C Division South Zone Championships and the win secured us the 3rd place.
Monday, July 23, 2012
C Division Semi Finals
Raffles Institution vs Catholic High (43-60)
Points by Quarter:
1st-----2nd-----3rd-----4th
4--------19-------4------16------- Raffles
7--------22------19------12-------Catholic High
This game was a tale of two halves. We came out keeping the score very close throughout the first 2 quarters as we were able to always have an answer for whatever they threw at us. Our defensive intensity was turned up a notch in the first half as we were able to constantly communicate and work out the 2-3 zone that we were running well. We were able to keep the score so close in the game as we put in a collective effort in scoring the points. Many of our players were able to make the score sheet and provide the team with solid contributions. However in the 3rd quarter, the wheels fell off for us. We dug ourselves a big hole in this quarter and erased any chance of us winning the game. Ironically, it was when their key player, #15 was subbed out that they made a run with their bench providing them with a great boost. As the game continued, we gradually grew tired and stopped communicating on the defensive end of the floor. This is not good and we must definitely learn to communicate for the whole game and not just for 2 quarters. Turnovers killed us in this game. In the 3rd, there were some possessions where we were not able to bring the ball pass half court without getting the ball stolen by the opponents, allowing them to go for easy layups with no contest. This was largely due to the fact that the point guard was being pressured by the opponents and the only person who were supporting him was the in-bounder. From now on, forwards have to make a constant effort to go to the back court to support our point guard when he brings the ball up the court. That way, our turnover number will definitely be lower which would without a doubt make a difference. We rebounded the ball well in this game as we were very aggressive on the glass. We were able to hold their key players #7, #12, and #13 to 4 points, 0 points and 4 points respectively which was quite well done. The reason why #12 was scoreless was probably because he was thrown of rhythm as he had 4 fouls even before halftime. We got #15 into foul trouble as well with 4 fouls, but were not able to foul him out. We could not contain #15's scoring as he dropped 30 points on us, half the team's points, using his supreme height advantage to turn around and put it high off the glass for easy buckets over our defense. Our posts did do a good job of defending him, denying him the ball and making him take some bad shots, but sometimes, there is just so much we can do against his skill, height and uncanny athleticism. We will be vying for the 3rd place tomorrow and will play hard to gain an advantage in our nationals coming up.
Points by Quarter:
1st-----2nd-----3rd-----4th
4--------19-------4------16------- Raffles
7--------22------19------12-------Catholic High
This game was a tale of two halves. We came out keeping the score very close throughout the first 2 quarters as we were able to always have an answer for whatever they threw at us. Our defensive intensity was turned up a notch in the first half as we were able to constantly communicate and work out the 2-3 zone that we were running well. We were able to keep the score so close in the game as we put in a collective effort in scoring the points. Many of our players were able to make the score sheet and provide the team with solid contributions. However in the 3rd quarter, the wheels fell off for us. We dug ourselves a big hole in this quarter and erased any chance of us winning the game. Ironically, it was when their key player, #15 was subbed out that they made a run with their bench providing them with a great boost. As the game continued, we gradually grew tired and stopped communicating on the defensive end of the floor. This is not good and we must definitely learn to communicate for the whole game and not just for 2 quarters. Turnovers killed us in this game. In the 3rd, there were some possessions where we were not able to bring the ball pass half court without getting the ball stolen by the opponents, allowing them to go for easy layups with no contest. This was largely due to the fact that the point guard was being pressured by the opponents and the only person who were supporting him was the in-bounder. From now on, forwards have to make a constant effort to go to the back court to support our point guard when he brings the ball up the court. That way, our turnover number will definitely be lower which would without a doubt make a difference. We rebounded the ball well in this game as we were very aggressive on the glass. We were able to hold their key players #7, #12, and #13 to 4 points, 0 points and 4 points respectively which was quite well done. The reason why #12 was scoreless was probably because he was thrown of rhythm as he had 4 fouls even before halftime. We got #15 into foul trouble as well with 4 fouls, but were not able to foul him out. We could not contain #15's scoring as he dropped 30 points on us, half the team's points, using his supreme height advantage to turn around and put it high off the glass for easy buckets over our defense. Our posts did do a good job of defending him, denying him the ball and making him take some bad shots, but sometimes, there is just so much we can do against his skill, height and uncanny athleticism. We will be vying for the 3rd place tomorrow and will play hard to gain an advantage in our nationals coming up.
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