Too easy for Easyway

Jason Thomas
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, April 3, 2010

SOON LEE-EASYWAY and national basketball coach Kevin Reece think his team are disrespected in the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) Open Challenge Trophy. Their response was to hand out a 132-46 pounding to Al-Ssarah Eagles in their first match.

"I think everybody wanted to prove the naysayers wrong," said Reece.

"Aspirations for us are low and nobody believes us. That was our motivation, that was our mission.

"Who are the naysayers? The haters? They know who they are," added the American.

If this is parity in the league, then the other teams are in for a rough time of it if last night's 86 points drubbing was any indication.

After taking a 41-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, it was difficult to see why Reece feels his team have their detractors.

Double and triple teaming the ballhandlers, the contest was decided almost before it began.

Reece made sure his players hustled for every ball and used his deep bench to ensure there were always fresh legs on the court.

Their control of the boards was another factor, and their ability to drive to the hoop meant most of their baskets came from inside the paint.

Starting the third quarter down 62-22, Al-Ssarah Eagles never looked like mounting a comeback with their poor shooting and tired legs sealing their fate.

Decimating their opponents on the fast break, Soon Lee-Easyway took a 93-33 lead heading into the final period, with Lim hitting the century mark two and a half minutes into the period.

Reece attributed the win to defence.

"Start with defence and end with defence, that's the way we are going to win games," he said.

"No disrespect to other teams if we are still playing hard in the last two minutes, we will continue to play hard until the end.

"There was a lot of man to man defence tonight (Friday) but we have other strategies.

"We don't want to show all the candy in the store," grinned the 49-year-old coach.

Reece's only complaint was the number of turnovers the team committed in the first half, saying that 12 turnovers a half or 24 a game would be too many if they wanted to win a match at an elite level.

The first game saw Warriors II beat Streetball Team 107-76 in the veterans (35 years old and above) category at 7pm.

Tonight's action will see the Glaic's Skywalkers face off against Rotary Switch Testing Company in the veterans category at 7pm while the game at 8.30pm will see Shark Team take on Teik Goldsmith.


source: The Brunei Times

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SGC Palm Cafe serve up a drubbing

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, April 2, 2010

SGC Palm Cafe hammered Rotary Switch Testing Company 74-55 in their opening game of the BBA Open Challenge Trophy last night at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) court in Batu Bersurat.

SGC had four players in double figures, including R Galvadores, who racked up a game-high 21 points while Tarciano Shibaan and Jerson Mendoza each chipped in 12 points. Albert Cenabre also contributed 10.

For Rotary, Lim Woe Kuang topscored with 16 points while Tan Thing Teck poured in 12 in a losing effort.

The match was all one-way traffic from the outset as SGC Palm Cafe controlled the game at both ends of the floor.

Rotary's defence was abysmal, leaving lanes wide open for SGC to cut inside and score inside the paint.

At the end of the first quarter, SGC Palm Cafe had opened up a 21-11 lead.

The second period proved to be more of the same, SGC ran their offence through their bigs (Jess De Jesus and Mendoza).

Rotary had to rely on their outside shooting to keep them in the game, eventually going on a run near the break to trail 34-26 at halftime.

However, the tides turned after the interval. Rotary made crisper passes, moved the ball well and found the open man, who was knocking down shots. They were running the floor in numbers and dominating the boards, allowing them to crawl their way back into it.

The third quarter spurt allowed them to score as many points in the period as the entire first half combined.

But the start of the fourth spelled a renewed focus for SGC, turning up the defence, which allowed them to open the fourth period with a 7-0 run in the first minute.

Rotary compounded their problems with defensive lapses and sloppy offensive execution, marred by turn overs. They looked tired and weren't getting back to defend the hoop. SGC cruised home from there on out.

"It was our first game together and the players executed their plays individually," said Joseph Lim, the head coach of SGC, in an interview with The Brunei Times, after the win.

"We're still working on our teamwork and hope to improve in time. Other areas such as rebounds were good but we're still missing our point guard."

The other match of the day saw NBT run out comfortable 95-50 winners over Urban Chic Boutique in Group A of the Open Category.

The competition continues today with Streetball Team going up against Warriors II in Group A of the veterans Category at 7pm.

The second match pits the national squad, Soon Lee-Easyway, against Al Ssarah Eagles in Group B of the Open Category at 8.30pm.

source: The Brunei Times

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Shark stamp class over Urban Chic Boutique

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

SHARK sent a message to the other teams swimming in the Group A waters of the BBA last night when it crushed Urban Chic Boutique 94-75 at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) court in Batu Bersurat.

Shark had five players score in double figures. Danial Kelvin Ong topscored with 20 points, Elvin Requintin contributed 14 points, Aries Castro and Apollo Bibat each chipped in 12 points apiece and Nick Manalasan scored 11.

Fong Ben Onn had a game-high 21 for Urban Chic Boutique and Lim Yih Yuan poured in 13 points in what was their second loss in as many nights.

It was a one-sided affair from the outset as Shark clamped down on defence, running riot in the passing lanes, which they converted into steals and easy points on the break. Despite Shark emptying its bench early, they never reliquinshed the double-digit lead they built in the first quarter.

"We're trying to show that we are one of the strong teams. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the main match and it's going to be 50/50 on whether we can win the game," said Requintin in an interview with The Brunei Times after the victory.

Requintin singled out Plaza Sutra Biru, who they face at 8.30pm today.

"It is going to be against a team of Barracudas players. Nevertheless, we're happy with our performance since it's our first game and everyone worked together as a team," added the Shark captain.

When asked on what he feels the main threats from Plaza Sutra Biru would be, Requintin replied: "They have big men that can shoot outside and their a fast team.

"The problem with us is that we're lacking a point guard but we'll just have to adjust and prepare ourselves."

Shark coach, Zaldy Matias, felt that they needed the game as a tune up after training for a month for the tournament.

"It was more of a warm up but we have to be ready for the tough game. We should have no problems as most of our main players rested tonight (Tuesday night)," said Matias.

Meanwhile, Esmond Tan, the captain of Plaza Sutra Biru, knows what they have to do in order to win.

"We have to cover their three-point shooters. We stand a good chance if we take it to the post since we have the height and size advantage," said Tan.

"It is going to be tough but I'm confident that we can win the match as our opponents' bench is not as deep as ours. It will be difficult for them if they get into foul trouble."

In the earlier match, Chevrolet Cruze held on for a 76-70 win over Streetball team for their second straight triumph in Group A of the veterans category.

Goh Boon Tiong had a game-high of 22 points for Chevrolet Cruze and Goh Kiat Hing had 20 points. Walter Ruiz led Streetball with 21 points.

Today's match will see Babe's Boutique take on Ford at 7pm.

source: The Brunei Times

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Plaza Sutera Biru down Urban Chic Boutique

Jason Thomas
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Team Captain Esmond Tan easy Lay-up

PLAZA Sutera Biru's dominance inside the paint paved the way for a 65-40 win against Urban Chic Boutique in last night's Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) Open Challenge Trophy action.

Bouncing back from their 80-63 loss to NBT on the opening day last Saturday, Plaza Sutera Biru's size and experience down the stretch handed Urban Chic Boutique a loss in their first Group A game.

Though Plaza Sutera Biru had three Barracudas' players in their line-up — Esmond Tan, Ho Hee Lee and Lim Aik Hock — it was Leslie Chia who stole the show with 15 points — the game's top scorer drilling in nine of them from downtown.

Plaza Sutera Biru had three other players in double figures at the BBA court in Batu Bersurat, Jong Guo Zheng adding 12 while Ho and Yam Wan Fung each contributed 10.

Urban Chic Boutique's captain On Chee Chew led by example with 11 points, with Fong Ben Onn the team's second best scorer with nine points.

Refusing to pick out any one player for individual praise, Tan insisted the win was a result of the whole team clicking on both sides of the court.

"We were just trying to work out our strategy and focus on our plays," explained the small-forward.

"We were also trying out the rotation of our players because a few of us won't be available on April 11 when we play our last game (against Teik Goldsmith).

"Our next game (against Shark Team) on Wednesday will be a must win for us if we want to reach the next round," added the vice-captain of the Barracudas last season.

It was a close game in the opening minutes and both teams found it hard to break through, with the towering Yam helping Plaza Sutera Biru to a 2-0 lead after three minutes.

Urban Chic Boutique netted the next three points but they could do nothing when Tan coordinated a 12-0 run in the next few minutes to help Plaza Sutera Biru carve a 14-3 lead in the final two minutes.

Plaza Sutera Biru started the second quarter with a 17-8 advantage but it was a lead which they weren't able to build on.

Urban Chic Boutique might not have been able to penetrate as much as they would have liked but their quick passing gave their opponents a hard time, with Plaza Sutera Biru only leading 21-13 mid-way through the quarter.

A late surge saw them enjoy a 29-18 cushion at the end of the half, though it was only in the last 20 seconds the 10-point lead opened up when Ho nailed a two-pointer.

Urban Chic Boutique were tired and out of ideas in the third quarter and trailed 49-31 heading into the last stanza, and Plaza Sutera Biru's fluid passing and ability to shift seamlessly from defense to attack prevented their opponents from staging a comeback.

Chia's second three-pointer two minutes into the fourth quarter opened a 20-point gap at 54-33, and Plaza Sutera Biru cruised to the win after that.

Urban Chic won't have much time to think about the loss.

They face Shark Team in tonight's second game at 8:30pm knowing that a second defeat will seriously dent their chances of advancing to the next round.

Last night's first game saw Ford start their Group B campaign on a winning note with a 91-70 result against Al-Ssarah Eagles.

Tonight's first game pits Streetball Team against Chevrolet Cruz in the veterans (35 years old and above) category at 7pm.

source: The Brunei Times

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Babes Boutique outclass Ilonggo Stingers

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, March 29, 2010


BABES BOUTIQUE opened up their title campaign on a high note last night by thumping Ilonggo Stingers 80-63 in Group B of the BBA Open Challenge Trophy at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) court in Batu Bersurat.

Mark del Mundo topscored with 21 points for Babes Boutique, who took a commanding 46-33 lead at the half and never looked back.

Also turning in double figures were Roldan Binas with 20 while Josend Mangoroban and Don Mordeno contributed 14 and 12 points, respectively.

"I was trying to find the open man and it worked out as we played as a team. We got the momentum and it was good that we managed to maintain it throughout the match," said Mordeno after the match.

Del Mundo dominated the boards despite the strong challenge from the opponents.

"I'm just happy that we won as a team and to prove that we're still as strong as we used to be and hopefully we can make it to the final again," added the 27-year-old.

"We just stuck to the game plan and played our fastbreaks. Everyone really stepped it up with the good defence as well," said Albert Cenabre, the coach of Babe Boutique, who is caretaker while former coach Kaka Espartero is away on vacation.

"The only problem is that we're lacking a sixth man but the gelling of the team is there and they showed that they can play as a unit that helped us win the game," Cenabre added.

Rio Oblido was the only player for the Stingers to hit double figures with 14 points.

In the other game, R&T 'A' rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Streetball team 80-68 in Group A of the veterans category.

Noel Grafil had a game-high 35 points, including seven triples, for R&T 'A' while Mario Salasar led Streetball with 21 points.

source: The Brunei Times

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Streetball: Pinoy Resources out of title race at StreetballBrunei

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, March 29, 2010

picture by: Yee Chun Leong

PINOY RESOURCES gave their best but still fell short of keeping their title hopes alive in the StreetballBrunei 2010.

Needing to win by five points over Kiarong Tuesday Club (KTC) to stay in the title race, Pinoy Resources tried but failed as the final score read 70-68 at the final buzzer yesterday at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Pinoy Resources lost to Hope 66-62 last Thursday, thus, requiring them to win by a five-point margin over KTC.

"Our overall performance for the tournament was good and we're still satisfied with the results as we never expected to make it this far," said Danny Felicilda, who led Pinoy Resources with a game-high of 26 points.

"We'll just move on from here and try to get better results in future competitions," added the MVP of the 3rd Manjaro Cup in October last year.

It was a dramatic finish to a game which saw both teams in a see-saw battle throughout the four quarters.

With KTC protecting a 62-61 lead going into the final two minutes, Pinoy Resources held a 7-0 run to wrest the upperhand at 68-62.

KTC went to sharp-shooter Bernie Toledo, who would score his team's last six points. With eight seconds left to play, Toledo faked a three-point shot and got fouled by Rommel Valmores for three shots at the charity stripe. He split his first two attempts and purposely missed his third but got the offensive rebound setting up his own shot for a baseline trey that sealed the Pinoy Resources fate.

KTC had four players in double figures with Armando Estoesta leading the way with 19 points followed by Marlon Cruz with 18 points.

Toledo finished with 15 points while Jess de Jesus chipped in 14 points.

KTC will now have to beat Hope by five points on Sunday to enter the final.

"We have a chance of making it but we'll have to focus on our defence as I think our offence is alright and we know that Hope is an offensive team," said Estoesta, in an interview with The Brunei Times after the match.

Regardless of a win or loss on Sunday, the KTC power forward is still satisfied with what the team's achieved so far.

"We came as a group to play for fun and didn't expect to be here. We've put up a good fight against some other good teams and we'll hope to make it to the final," said Estoesta.

Over at Group B, Sold defeated Jinks 75-58 to arrange a showdown with GILR Wildcats also on Sunday.

Hope will face KTC at 3pm while Sold will meet GILR Wildcats at 4.30pm.

The winners of these two matches will advance to the final scheduled for April 11 at 2pm.

source: The Brunei Times

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NBT win opening game against Plaza Sutra Biru

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, March 28, 2010

BEFITTING the world celebration of Earth Hour today, the opening BBA Open Challenge Trophy game at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) court in Batu Bersurat was delayed because of a power shortage.

When proceedings finally got underway, NBT weren't overly fazed by Plaza Sutra Biru on their way to a posting an 80-63 win in the first match in Group A last night.

It was a slow start for the favourites but Majomar Aying shifted gears early to score 20 points in the first half enroute to a team-high of 22 points. It was his shooting from beyond the arc, connecting on four from downtown that set the tone for his team's 38-29 edge at halftime.

"It's almost like Christmas night. Everything was just falling for me. Maybe I'm just lucky," said Aying.

"I thought that the team played well with great teamwork and good defence. It's good that we managed to keep up with our opponents despite the slow start," added the 23-year-old.

Meanwhile, Geve Leones found the early going much tougher, having an off shooting night. The point guard finished with 18 points, well below his average, as he passed up driving to the hoop while he had a hand in his face most of the night.

"I was taking a chance on shooting as the other team really defended me well. Nothing was going in and I was trying to get my teammates involved," said Leones.

"Overall, I don't think we played (well). Since it's only our first game, the team will get better with time," added Leones.

Esmond Tan, vice-captain of the Barracudas last season, had a game-high 28 and Presley Ho had 18 but it was still not enough. However, Tan felt that it was the team's lack of fitness that sent them crashing to their opening defeat.

"We're unfit as we haven't had much training, starting only three days ago. Some of the players have just come back from holidays as well," said Tan.

"But I thought we rushed the game too much to try to score and we got tired after that," added the 25-year-old.

When asked about their opponents' performance, Tan replied: "They didn't play well but they made their shots. That was the difference."

In the curtain raiser, Chevrolet Cruze crafted to a 83-68 win over Warriors II in the veterans (35 years old and above) category.

Rosli Said topscored for Chevrolet with 29 points and Goh Boon Tiong contributed 18 points in the victory. Aries Castro had a game-high 30 points for Warriors II in a losing effort.

Two games will be played today. R&T 'A' are going up against Streetball Team in Group A of the veterans category at 7pm. Ilonggo Stingers and Babes Boutique in Group B is scheduled for 8.30pm.

source: The Brunei Times

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