Written by: Darren Chia
Edited by: Jared Rajiv
Photos by: EusoffWorks
Our Basketball (F) team finished off their preliminary games against Sheares.
Learning from the mistakes of the previous game, the girls set the tone by drawing first blood - swinging the ball to a wide open Mabel who converted from beyond the arc. A nice sequence saw Charmaine stop a Sheares layup attempt, after which she aggressively drove and made a bank shot. The first quarter ended 7-5 to Eusoff.
Sheares started the second quarter strong and raced to an 18-11 lead, but the Eusoff girls’ mentalities remained rock-solid. Charmaine and Mabel hit a huge pair of threes to bring the game within three. Sheares went on another run, increasing their lead to 9. Eusoff responded with a big 10-4 run, bringing the game to 29-30 in favor of Sheares. Mabel then hit an ice-cold 3-point shot to give Eusoff the lead. It was a tight game and both teams threw everything they had at each other, ending the game with a string of eight free throws. Eusoff was the more efficient of the two teams, converting 2-4 while Sheares were 0-4. The game ended 34-30 to Eusoff.
Han Xi bringing the ball down the court to run the offense
Mental fortitude was the name of the game today. More than once, the girls found themselves down by a fair bit. But they remained unfazed and clawed their way back into the game. Frankly, it was a rough day shooting-wise. Shots were falling for Sheares but not for Eusoff. Yet the girls stuck with it and eventually found their way around a disciplined Sheares defense. Entering the knockout stages, the games will only get tougher and it is heartening to know the Eusoff girl’s are never down for the count.
Special mentions go to:
Han Xi, who showed immense composure on offense. She distributed the ball well and had a couple of nice shots and layups. She was also an absolute menace on defense, never letting up and giving every single person she guarded hell. Yet again, she led the team in steals (not even counting all the turnovers she forced). A deep three-point make was the icing on an otherwise solid all-round performance.
Mabel, who conducted another shooting masterclass. She finished the game with three 3-pointers. Maybe now teams will think twice before throwing the 3-2 zone defense at us. She led the team in scoring with 13 points.
Cynthia, who put in a big defensive shift, especially in the second half. Her dogged defense saw her make a huge steal, stopping a 6-0 Sheares run and sparking the second Eusoff comeback.
With that, the girls are through to the knockouts and will play the semi-finals next week. Be sure to come down and give them your fullest support!
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