Labuan win threatens Brunei vets gold quest

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, August 15, 2010

IT IS do-or-die for the national veteran team after they lost last night's 11th Borneo City Veteran Basketball Invitation Tournament 2010
match 62-57 to Labuan.

Splitting results in the competition at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat, the team has to beat Kota Kinabalu (KK) in today's game at 4:30pm and hope that Miri fend off Labuan.

"If we win we have to see the outcome of the match between Miri and Labuan," said Brunei's captain Rosli Said.

"If we do and Miri beat Labuan we are the champions. If Labuan beat Miri, they will be the champions and we will finish runners-up," he added.

Miri take on Labuan at 1:30pm.

Brunei beat Miri 71-55 in convincing fashion on Friday night.

The national veterans scored the first two baskets of last night's match
and slowly built on their lead after that. Looking static on defence, Labuan's ballrotation meant they were a threat all night.

Though they carved a 10-point lead in the last two minutes of the half, Brunei let Labuan back in the match and the hosts only led 31-23 at the
half-time break.

Tony Tan and Rosli were the team's most promising players but tired legs saw the team surrender their lead mid-way through the third quarter (36-35).

The lead would see-saw between the two sides until Brunei took a 44-41 advantage heading into the last quarter.

Communicating better than their opponents, key blocks helped Labuan close the hosts down in the fourth which saw Brunei miss easy lay-ups while failing to run back on defence.

"I think when we saw them catching up we grew nervous and lost our confidence," explained Rosli.

"We were tired from last night's (Friday) win and maybe we played too hard. That tiredness also led us to not communicate. That was our weak
point," added the captain.

Last night's other veterans game was a 94-55 win for Miri over KK.

In the 7th Borneo City Women Basketball Invitation Tournament 2010 held concurrently, Brunei lost to KK 84-39.

Miri take on KK at 10:30am in today's only women's match.

Source: The Brunei Times