Miri, Sibu reign in U20 basketball

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The Miri team after winning the girls competition.

The Miri team after winning the girls competition.

The triumphant Sibu boy’s team. — Photos by Teo Chi Wei

The triumphant Sibu boy’s team. — Photos by Teo Chi Wei

KUCHING: Miri and Sibu were crowned the champions of the girls and boys categories of the Sarawak Inter-Division Youth U20 Basketball Championship that ended at Sentosa Indoor Basketball Stadium last Sunday.

Miri shattered Kuching’s dream of retaining the girls’ crown when they beat the host team 61-43 in the final.

Kuching were obviously missing two key players Khoo Yik Chi (injury) and Sheryn Liew Tze Yee (appendix) though they led Miri 16-13 in the first quarter.

The second quarter saw them scoring only four points to surrender the lead 20-26 to Miri. Both sides suffered several misses in their shooting in the third quarter as Miri still maintained a 39-35 lead.

Another key Kuching player Chong Mui Khiun fouled out in the fourth quarter which saw Miri going on a scoring spree win with a comfortable 18 point margin.

Cleo Tay top scored for Miri with 14 points while Mandy Ngieng contributed 12 and had 13 rebounds. Christabel Yeo was the only Kuching player to scored double digits (13 points).

Sibu ended up third in the three-team girls competition.

Meanwhile, Sibu claimed the boys title after winning all their four matches in the five-team league competition.

They opened with 81-59 win over Miri and followed up with 81-75 win over Kuching, 80-62 over Bintulu before whipping Samarahan 78-53 in their final league match on Saturday.

In the play-off for third and fourth, Kuching became the first team in the championship to breach the century mark when they thrashed Miri 104-87.

Samarahan, who lost all their matches, ended up in fifth spot.

At the closing ceremony, the Sarawak Basketball Association announced the initial squad of 40 potential state players.

Boys: William Soo, Su Leh King Ting Huong Ling, Eddie Wong, Danny Sia, Julian Sia and Tang Seng Tar (Sibu), Yung Kok Fu, Lo Kian Ming, Kelvin Law, Tan Kwang Shwen, Wong Hung Ling and Josh Wong (Bintulu), Liew Yuan Hua, Alvin Lau, Bryan Sim and Andy Jong (Kuching) and Jarrel Ling, Tiang Lee Chai, Kho Chi Hao of Samarahan.

Girls: Jong Yea Chyi, Chong Kai Li, Adeline Cheng, Cleo Tay and Sharon Tie (Miri), Sherlyn Liew, Iris Lok, Khoo Yik Chi, Christable Yeo and Chong Mui Khiun (Kuching) and Phan Guang Jie, Tiong Mee Gi, Law Ting Sieng, Wong Chin Yi and Wong Eng (Sibu).