Written by: Kam Keng Han
Edited by: Chen Kexin and Lydia Ong
Photos by: EusoffWorks
Basketball F Prelims vs KE
Set 1: Vera, Xin Yan, Thea, Huiling 17-4 (W)
Set 2: Hwee Ching, Alex, Jinwen, Aderes 22-7 (W)
Overall Score: Eusoff 2-0 KE
In an unprecedented year of IHG, our girls from the basketball team started the season strong with a clean 2-0 victory against KE7. Before diving into the games, here’s an explanation of how the basketball tournament is being conducted during the pandemic:
· 1 game
· 2-3 sets depending on players available, normally 3
· 2 halves of 5min per set, with 2min rest between halves
· 3v3 game with rolling subs within the group of 4 players
Set 1: Vera, Xin Yan, Thea, Huiling 17-4
This really do be an easy goal for our basketball girls as our opponents fail to defend and can only gape wordlessly
As the players walked into courts after having their temperatures taken, you could sense a heightened sense of concentration and focus, with a deadly aura swirling around the players as they prepared to warm up for the game. Soon after, the referees called the first 8 players in and the game was underway! From the get go, it was clear that the girls were out for blood. Within a mere 5 seconds, Chok had already driven down the middle and netted Eusoff’s first point of the season. Unfortunately, as both team tried to acclimatize to the playing conditions, many began slipping and sliding around the court which brought much confusion and laughter to the bench
Despite the conditions, our team adapted quicker and quickly put up another 5 points to put us up to 6-1. Honestly, it was a struggle to keep up with the type of street basketball pace. Every second spent updating the telegram live commentary (https://t.me/ihgbasketball) would lead to me missing a play or two as our players constantly thwarted the shots that came their way. The 4 players displayed good chemistry and court vision in both offence and defence, always making it difficult for the KE players to have room to make a clean shot. In a blink of an eye, the score was suddenly 14-4 but our players did not let the scoreline get to their head. With a minute or so left, our players made quick work of the disheartened KE7 players and sank in another 3 shots to end the game 17-4.
Set 2: Hwee Ching, Alex, Jinwen, Aderes 22-7
The opponent has got nothing against our solid defense skills
For the second set, the competition was definitely higher for the KE7’s line now featured an IVP player that would tower over anyone shorter than 175cm. Nevertheless our defence came out with the goal to strangle their opponents. KE7’s strategy was clear, for their main player to take a long shot and go from there. Throughout the game “screen left” was a phrase I heard perhaps too many times. Off the check, Aderes would call that for Hwee or Jinwen as KE tried to set up a screen for their main player to make a shot. Not that I know much about basketball, but Albert Einstein once said ‘the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’ Oof.
As the set progressed, KE7’s defence starting tiring out, their players began dropping back closer to the rim, as if challenging our players to take a long shot. Which our players gladly did. With all the time in the world to load up and aim, for 3 consecutive shots, Jinwen sank three 2-pointers and suddenly the gap shot up from 9-4 to 15-4. The girl then decisively closed off the game to seal with victory 22-5 capping off a positive day.
Congratulations girls! Enjoy the dub.
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