KUCHING: Sarawak’s hopes of winning the national girls Under- 17 title at the 50th Maba National Junior Basketball Championship in Kedah were dashed by Selangor who beat them by one point in the final last Saturday.
The Sarawak girls team and officials posing with their trophies and medals after finishing second in the 50th Maba National Junior Basketball Championship.
It was a classic case of so near and yet so far for the Sarawak girls who made the final after a lapse of eight years.
They trailed Selangor 17-10 in the first quarter and key player Law Ting Sieng had to play cautiously after committing three fouls.
In the second quarter, Sarawak led by Law and Sharon Tie rallied to grab the lead 20-17 only for Law to commit her fourth foul.
Selangor ended the quarter 26- 25 ahead.
Sarawak suffered another setback when Khoo Yik Khi, after sinking a three-pointer, injured her knee when she collided with a Selangor player.
Then Law was whistled for her fifth foul in the third quarter and had to leave the game.
Selangor capitalised on this advantage and tightened up their defence to squeak out a 51-50 victory.
Ang Hui Yi scored 14 points while Foo Suet Ying and Koo Hui Qi contributed 11 points each for Selangor.
Tie was Sarawak’s top scorer with 19 points while Wong Chin Yi scored 11 points.
Despite failing to capture the title, Sarawak coach Toh Vui Kiong said he was pleased with the girls’ performance.
“After all, the majority of the players are 15 years old and we had to depend on a few seniors to lead the team.”
He was unhappy with the referees who did not penalise many fouls committed by Selangor in the final minutes of the game.
“We were unlucky to lose the match. Another reason is that our players lacked experience and they are always overcome by nervousness and pressure in the crucial moments,” he added.
“There are only one or two tournaments held in Sarawak every year when compared to more tournaments held in Peninsular Malaysia,” he added.
Finishing in third and fourth were Johor and Perak.
Sharon Tie, who added nine rebounds, three assists and six steals to her game-high 19 points, was named the Most Valuable Player in the final and Best Defender in the girls competition.
She was also included in the initial selection list for the national squad together with Law, Khoo and Wong.
The Sarawak boys could only manage a 10th place in the 14-team competition.
Alvin Lau Bik Jie and Eddie Wong Pak Soon were named in the initial selection for the national youth squad.
Selangor emerged the boys champions after they overcame Negeri Sembilan 63-53 in the final.