Dramatic win for Movers

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, May 31, 2010

IN A game full of drama, Morley Movers stole a last minute 58-57
victory over Shun Wei last night in Group A of the 2nd Queenielin's Cup
at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Ferdinand Lucida topscored for Morley Movers with 15 points while Marwyn Belleza and Bernie Toledo chipped in 13 and 11 points respectively in the victory. Sonny Bautista had a game-high of 24 points to lead Shun Wei in a losing effort.

It was Morley Movers' first win in the competition.

Shun Wei were in control early in the game with their centre, Bautista, doing whatever he liked both from the inside and outside to open up a 19-8 lead going into the second period. Morley Movers had no answers to Bautista and couldn't get anything going on offence and faced a 33-18 deficit at halftime.

A box-one defence on Bautista seemed to have worked well for the Morley Movers as they held the Shun Wei centre scoreless for the third stanza. They clawed their way back by going on fastbreaks and started making baskets from the outside. A buzzer beating shot from the baseline by Belleza brought the scores to 41-37 heading into the final quarter.

Shun Wei kept their composure and were passing the ball into the paint to get their points. The turning point of the game came with six minutes left in the match when a hard foul was called on Bautista leading to a scuffle. The referees gave technical fouls to both sides.

When the game continued it got really physical. Just a minute later with the scoreboard reading 52-47 in favour of Shun Wei, Bautista was called for another technical foul for throwing an elbow on his opponent. This meant an early shower for the Filipino. Read More...

Source: The  Brunei Times

Read more...

Palm Cafe douse Fire Eater

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, May 30, 2010

PALM CAFE were made to work hard for a 74-66 victory over Fire Eater in Group B of the 2nd Queenielin's Cup at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat last night.

Jolito Entapan topscored for Palm Cafe with 14 point while Geve Leones and Joel Aying poured in 12 and 11 points respectively in the team's second consecutive win.

Arnold Patricio and Sunard Presado led Fire Eater with 14 points apiece in a losing effort.

Both teams played strongly in the opening period and it was Fire Eater that edged ahead 20-19 heading into the second period.

However, Palm Cafe picked up the slack in the second quarter, throwing baseball passes for fastbreak points.

Fire Eater were not running back fast enough on defence and this allowed their opponents to regain control of the game for a 37-34 advantage at halftime.

Fire Eater were attacking the paint on offence and they were dominating the boards for second chance opportunities. However, Ryan Esteban was throwing a block party for Palm Cafe to help his team extend the lead to 45-38 midway through the period.

Palm Cafe were also utilising the bench and finally carried a double digit cushion at 56-46 going into the final stanza.

But Fire Eater weren't going down without a fight and played with more energy by breaking up the Palm Cafe passes.

They were also shooting well as Palm Cafe failed to put a hand in their opponents' face.Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

PSB's Jong breaks Stingers' hearts again

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, May 29, 2010

LIGHTNING does strike twice. Plaza Sutera Biru proved just that
last night.

Jong Guo Zhang was once again the hero when he nailed the game-winning layup with three seconds left to lift Plaza Sutera Biru (PSB) to a 61-60 comeback victory over the Ilonggo Stingers in the final to emerge champions of the 2010 Yong Sok Cup last night.

The victory at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Seria gave PSB a 'double'.

Jong also hit the game winning three-point shot when he was playing for Hyundai Setia Motors to beat the Stingers 79-78 in the final of the same
tournament last year.

PSB had the last possession last night and the Stingers knew the ball would land in Esmond Tan's hands leading to a triple team with 11 seconds left.

However, Tan would pass the ball to Fong Yeh Leong who drove to the rim just to kick out to an open Jong right under the basket for the winning shot.

"I will have to give credit to Fong for making a good pass to me. If not, I would have never been given a chance at a shot. I was left open since all eyes were on the guy with the ball," said Jong, a guard of PSB, in an interview with The Brunei Times, after the triumph.

"I didn't know if I was going to make it. My mind was blank but I just knew I had to make it. There was probably some luck involved and the supporters really gave us a good backing," added Jong, who would finish
with eight points.

The game was a similar affair to their previous meeting in the final of the BBA Open Challenge Trophy last month when the Stingers squandered a  25-point advantage for PSB to win 83-77. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times | photos courtesy of Ricky Chin/SanGkai’s Photography.

Read more...

Queenielin's Cup: Sharks leave Hope in tatters

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, May 28, 2010

SHARKS put a dent in Hope's chances of grabbing a treble with an 87-71 victory in Group B of the 2nd Queenielin's Cup last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

The defeat is Hope's second in a row after their opening day 85-74 loss to Palm Muara United last Saturday. 

Aries Castro was the main hitman for Sharks with a game-high of 30 points while Jeff Paraiso topscored for Hope with 19 points.

The competition continues tomorrow with Palm Cafe going up against Fire Eater at 8.30pm. The second game pits Palm Muara United against Urdan Express.

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Plaza Sutera Biru eye championship berth against Team Wayne

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, May 27, 2010

PLAZA SUTERA BIRU hope to live up to their billing as tournament
favourites when they shoot for a championship berth at 8.15 tonight in
the 2010 Yong Sok Cup at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Seria.

Boasting of Barracudas players Esmond Tan, Presley Ho, Xavier Fong and Lim Aik Hock, the team are aiming for a second straight final appearance after
winning the BBA Open Challenge Trophy 83-77 against the Ilonggo Stingers
last month.

But the squad mentored by Wong Yee Chai, who served as assistant coach of the Barracudas, are up against an equally-talented Team Wayne, who will be spearheaded by Filipino tandem Geve Leones and Majomar Aying. Plaza Sutera Biru are beaming with confidence after beating Primeland Estate Agency 70-51 with only five players last Friday. The win allowed them to top Group A.

"It is a big game for us. It is going to be tough since they are a mixture of
local players and not a whole Filipino team. They should get enough support from the rest," said Tan, the captain of Plaza Sutera Biru, in an interview with The Brunei Times, yesterday.

"We also haven't had any training session since last week but we should be alright by executing our plays in the previous games," added Tan, who is from
Tutong District.

The last time Plaza Sutera Biru met the Filipinos was at the BBA Open Challenge Trophy where they played NBT but lost 80-63.

"We were quite a new team then but now after playing more games, we have settled down. We know what we have to do and that is to cover their fastbreaks," exlained Tan.

"But I believe that the team have got the stamina to cope with them and we should be able to handle their set plays," said the 26-year-old Tan. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

GILR Wildcats beat Al-Ssarah

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

JEROLD PASCUA scored the game-winning free throws with 20 seconds
remaining to lift the GILR Wildcats to a 72-71 victory over Al-Ssarah Eagles last night in Group B of the 2nd Queenielin's Cup at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

"I can't describe what I feel but I just feel really happy that I hit them to help my teamwin the match," said Pascua after the triumph.

"I was feeling a lot of pressure but when the ball left my hands, I just felt them going in," added Pascua, who had a game-high of 22 points.

Jerald Ybanez contributed 14 points for the GILR Wildcats while Rey Katipunan chipped in 10 points.

On the other hand, Allan Talanay led the Eagles with 11 points while Michael Capinlac finished with 10 points.

The Eagles were in control in the first half taking a 42-32 lead at
halftime.

However, the Wildcats stepped it up a notch at both the offensive and defensive ends to cut the deficit to 55-47 heading into the final stanza.

The Wildcats were not boxing out and allowing their opponents to grab the offensive boards for second chance opportunities. However, they kept themselves in the match with their fastbreaks as the Eagles were running low on gas and failed to get back on defence. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

No pitstop for BMW at Palm Cafe

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, May 23, 2010

PALM CAFE showed that they are one of the powerhouses of the 2nd Queenielin Cup with a 98-84 victory over BMW in Group B last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Palm Cafe were without Geve Leones, who was competing for Team Wayne in the 2010 Yong Sok Cup in Seria at the same time, but played out a balanced offence with five players notching double figures.

Mike Nuguid had a team-high 23 points for Palm Cafe while Majomar Aying contributed 22. Danny Felicilda poured in 12 points while Elmer Alburo and Denver Esteban each chipped in with 10 for the victory.

On the other hand, Vincent Superio had the game-high 24 points to pace BMW and Buen Aventura scored 19 to the losing cause.

Both teams got off to slow starts, turning the ball over on several possessions, but it was Palm Cafe that took an early lead at 9-8 midway through the period. BMW were making poor decisions on their inside passing, which were easily broken by the Palm Cafe defence.

Palm Cafe, who are the 3rd Manjaro Cup champions, were running the fastbreaks to open up a 20-15 lead going into the second quarter.

It was a different affair in the second period as BMW were throwing baseball passes for easy baskets as Palm Cafe were sloppy getting back.

Superio did most of the damage for BMW, which led to it being a closely contested match, but Palm Cafe pressured their opponents for steals as they rode on an 8-0 run to close out the quarter to take a 46-32 advantage at halftime.

Palm Cafe were playing a different ball game as they were attacking the
paint through their big guys Jolito Entapan and Esteban, while BMW were plagued by foul trouble.

Palm Cafe were in control of the boards and Nuguid would penetrate to the basket for layups which saw them with a comfortable 75-57 cushion going into the final stanza.

BMW sensed the urgency and were rushing their shots. Palm Cafe on the other hand were getting complacent and failed to convert on several missed layups and saw their opponents cut the deficit to 10.

However, it proved not to be for BMW with time expiring, and Palm Cafe picked up the opening triumph. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Leones too hot for `Elevan' Degree

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, May 23, 2010

GEVE LEONES put in a 41-point performance to lift Team Wayne into the semi-finals of the 2010 Yong Sok Cup with an 86-80 win over Elevan
Degree Sport Cafe in Group B last night at the Kampung Baru Basketball court in Seria.

In a game where Team Wayne was missing the services of Majomar Aying, G K Yih was the second top notcher with 15
points.

On the opposite end, Ho Boon Siong led Elevan Degree Sport Cafe with 15 points while Kelvin Chin contributed 14 in a losing effort.

"I don't know what happened but I just played my game. I felt good shooting the ball and they were falling," said Leones, in an interview with The Brunei Times, after the victory.

Elevan Degree Sport Cafe, despite losing two out of two heading the match, showed that they were a competitive side in the opening period. Starting out hot they fired to a 21-15 lead heading into the second quarter.

However, Leones took over in the second period with 17 points to grab the lead for Team Wayne at 45-35 at halftime. It was an equally contested affair in the third with Elevan Degree Sport Cafe making the extra passes to get their points but faced a 64-50 deficit going into the final stanza. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

More 'Blues' for Primeland

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, May 22, 2010

FIVE is enough for Plaza Sutera Biru. At least it was enough to help them clinch a convincing 70-51 victory over the winless Primeland Estate Agency in Group A of the 2010 Yong Sok Cup at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Seria last night.

The win makes it three out of three for the BBA Open Challenge Trophy champions and it puts them top of their group heading into the semi-finals.

Only five players with two regular starters laced up for the game and they
stepped it up a notch to get the job done.

Yeo Chun Kiat had the game-high of 26 points for the tournament favourites while Wong Xiu Jie contributed 17 points. Lim Aik Hock and Leslie Chia chipped in 15 and 11 points respectively in the victory.

On the other hand, for his third straight game Mharbin topscored for Primeland Estate Agency recording 13 points last night. But it was not enough to keep his team from falling yet again.

"We played a slow game that worked to perfection. We tried to make every possession count and stay out of foul trouble. But I think it was our experience that was key in this match," said Lim, the point guard of Plaza Sutera Biru, in an interview with The Brunei Times, after the triumph. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Wolverines lose X power

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, May 21, 2010

Team Wayne score first win

TEAM WAYNE keep their hopes of making the semi-finals alive by barging into the win column with a 77-58 victory over Wolverines in the 2010 Yong Sok Cup at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Seria last night.

Team Wayne had a balanced offence with four players notching double figures. Majomar Aying had the game-high with 18 points to lead Team Wayne while Cheah Yong Sin contributed 15 points. Geve Leones chipped in 13 points while Kenny Lim put in 10 points in the victory.

On the other hand, Thian Lee Choy led Wolverines with 14 points and Liew San Hwa scored 12 points to a losing cause.

It was a close affair from tip off but it was Team Wayne that opened up an eight-point lead at 22-14 going into the second quarter.

Team Wayne were running the floor well and going on fastbreaks that their opponents failed to handle to outscore the Wolverines 19-6 for the quarter.

It went all down hill for the Wolverines, facing a 41-20 deficit at halftime.

Team Wayne managed to utilise their bench and rest their Filipino players. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

GHK Trophy is back, basketball fans

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, May 21, 2010

THE Tutong Amateur Basketball Association will organise the annual Goh Hock Kee (GHK) Trophy Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament next month in conjunction with His Majesty's 64th Birthday celebrations at the Tutong Chung Hwa Basketball Court.

Vice-president of the organising committee, Soon Seng Lee, said that there will only be the women's category if at least four teams register.

Interested parties can obtain their registration forms from Easyway, Kiulap branch for the Brunei-Muara district while those residing in the Tutong district can head down to Lee Ta Trading Co.

Completed entry forms with a registration fee of $250 must be submitted before the closing date on May 31. More information can be obtained from Soon Seng Lee at 8715522 and Teo Hock Seng at 8721488.

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

They 'Hope' to make it a treble

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, May 21, 2010

HOPE are gunning to make it a treble when the 2nd Queenielin Cup tips off tomorrow at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) court in Batu Bersurat.

They bagged their first title after downing MK Kids 71-65 in the final of the 37 years old and below category of the Filipino Amateur Basketball (FAB) tournament in March.

They made it a double last month outlasting the GILR Wildcats 126-123 in overtime in the final of the StreetballBrunei 2010.

And now they are hungry for more glory.

"We are prepared for this tournament ...we have been training regularly for the past one month. We believe that we have a good chance," said Raul Dimaano, the head coach of Hope, in an interview with The Brunei Times, yesterday.

"We're confident that we can pull if off again. The team gel well and the organisation (Hope) has also been very supportive of the players," added Dimaano.

"There are no problems in terms of fitness or injuries."

Asked about the strengths of the team, Dimaano replied: "We have a bunch of young and athletic players on the squad. I believe that we have a very balanced set up with good players in every position.

"Plus, we have got a good bench to rotate with as well," he added.

However, the head coach knows that it will be no stroll in the park especially with the level of competition coming from the other teams.

"It will be very interesting to see because there are a lot of strong teams
like Palm Cafe and the Al-Ssarah Eagles. It will be exciting matchups
throughout," said Dimaano.

Organised by the FAB, the rule says that only one import can be played at any one time and Hope have Jeff Paraiso and Paul Ponio as their imports.

Other players to watch out for include the FAB tournament MVP, Mark Padilla and small forward, Marcelino Magaan.

Also competing are Urdan Express, Shark, BMW, Palm Muara United, Palm Cafe, Strangers, Gills Sports, GILR Wildcats, Liga Bumiputera, Morley Movers, Al-Ssarah Eagles, Fire Eater and Shun Wei. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Sutera Biru give rivals the blues

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, May 17, 2010

PLAZA Sutera Biru got off to a winning start yesterday recording a
comfortable 68-40 victory over Marauders in Group A of the 2010 Yong Sok Cup at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Seria.

The tournament was previously known as the 2010 Belait Sultan's Cup and is held in conjunction with His Majesty's 64th birthday celebrations.

Plaza Sutera Biru had a balanced game with Leslie Chia topscoring for the team with 14 points and Mark See contributing 11.

Jeffery Yong led the Marauders with 15 points to a losing cause.

"Tonight's (Sunday night) performance was alright. We were trying to adjust ourselves on defence as well as run some plays," said Fong Yeh Leong, a forward of Plaza Sutera Biru, in an interview with The Brunei Times after the triumph.

"It was a team effort and the team are looking in good shape at the moment. However, we'll need to improve further as our target is the semi-finals," added Fong.

In the earlier game, Wolverines picked up a 65-60 win over Elevan degree sport cafe in Group B.

Kelvin Chin had a game-high for Elevan degree sport cafe but it was not enough to prevent his side from falling to Wolverines.

Elevan degree sport cafe had opened up a lead as large as six points before their defence let them down.

"We had a lousy outing tonight. Each time we doubled on our opponents, they would score with their free man.We just let the game slip away from us," said Jeremy Chong, a forward of Elevan degree sport cafe.

The competition continues tomorrow with the Ilonggo Stingers going up against Wolverines in Group B at 7pm.

The second game pits Plaza Sutera Biru against LVS Unikorn in Group A at 8.15pm.

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Bolt vows 'very fast time'

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

LIGA BUMIPUTERA will be put to the test once again when they compete in the 2nd Queenielin Cup which will tip off this Saturday at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) court in Batu Bersurat.

The last outing by the all-local team was in the Streetball Brunei 2010
basketball tournament in March where they won all three of their games
as a guest team.

"Our aim for the competition is the same as before. We want to prove that we can compete at a high level and have a good outing," said Wira Pori, the manager-cum-player of Liga Bumiputera in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

Boasting several players from the national squad - Jamri Ramlee, Shamli Ismail, Muiz Abdul Ghani, Faizuladzmi Tajuddin, together with the trio of brothers Hj Md Rahmat, Hj Md Badri and Hj Md Sabri Hj Suhaili - the team will pose a threat for other teams in a run to the championship.

"We do not see ourselves as the favourites but instead put ourselves as the underdogs. Anything can still happen as some of the players are not 100 per cent due to injuries," said Wira.

"These players have benefitted from the national training under coach (Kevin) Reece but we'll continue to take this as a water testing stage," added the 24-year-old.

"We haven't had a fix training schedule for the team but those on the national side are doing fine while the rest of the roster would just attend when they have the time," continued the manager.

The team also received a boost with the additional of two other national cagers - Lim Liang Wei and Khoo Chin Kai- into the squad.

"We brought them into the squad as they cover up the areas that we're weak in," said Wira.

However, Liga Bumiputera will be without a coach as their previous coach, Hj Md Sofrian Hj Md Yusof, who is also an assistant coach of the national side, is busy due to work commitments.

The team is still missing key players Ahmad Termizi Hj Nordeen and Zainul Ashyraf Hussin who are both away for their studies.

Also competing are Urdan Express, Shark, BMW, Palm Muara United, Palm Cafe, Strangers, Gills Sports, GILR Wildcats, Hope, Morley Movers, Al-Ssarah Eagles, Fire eater and Shun Wei.

The tournament schedule will be announced at the opening ceremony set at 8pm.

Organised by the Filipino Amateur Basketball (FAB), Studio Jade are the defending champions winning the inaugural edition last year.

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

2010 Yong Suk Cup: Plaza Sutera Biru outclass LVS Unikorn to advance

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

PLAZA SUTERA BIRU have secured a berth in the semi-finals of the 2010 Yong Sok Cup with a 71-62 victory over LVS Unikorn in Group A at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Seria.

In their second straight victory, Esmond Tan had the game-high for the favourites with 25 points while Jong Guo Zhang contributed 10 points.

It was a closely contested affair in the first half with Plaza Sutera Biru, the BBA Open Challenge Trophy champions, taking a 32-29 lead at halftime. However, LVS Unikorn's starters were made to work extra hard without a formidable bench before succumbing to Plaza Sutera Biru's man-to-man full court defence in the second half for their first defeat of the competition.

"Our opponents were no easy team to beat which made it a game in the first half. After tonight's (Tuesday night's) match, we will need to continue
working on our defence but it was good that we finally played with a full squad," said Fong Yeh Leong, a forward of Plaza Sutera Biru, in an
interview with The Brunei Times after the triumph.

"After leading by double figures, we decided and managed to rotate the bench to get everyone involved and to run some plays in preparations for the next round which went well," added Fong.

In the earlier game, the Ilonggo Stingers are also through to the semi-finals with their second win in as many games after a 104-41 thrashing of Wolverines in Group B.

The Stingers had a balance offence with four players in double figures.
Lowey Jee Palma led the Stingers with 15 points followed by Alwin
Lavarias with 14 points. Cesar Asaldo and Rio Oblido had 10 points each.

"We needed this as a good practice game. We ran a couple of plays and I used the man-to-man full court pressure defence for conditioning that
our opponents never recovered from," said Stingers coach Rhaul Palma Jr.

"I just told everyone to forget the score and get everything done as we
lacked practice and it ended up really well for us," added Palma Jr.

The competition continues tomorrow with Marauders facing Primeland Estate Agency in Group A at 7pm while Team Wayne meeting Wolverines at 8.15pm.

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

MayaSilk Emporium – New Arrivals

New arrivals of basketball shoes at MayaSilk Emporium. Visit them for more.

Read more...

All's not well in Wayne's world

Yee Chun Leong
KUALA BELAIT

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Stingers stage comeback victory over Team Wayne in 2010 Belait
Sultan's Cup

THE Ilonggo Stingers overcame a sluggish start to get their campaign off to winning ways with a 78-58 victory over Team Wayne last night in Group B of the 2010 Belait Sultan's Cup at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Batu Bersurat.

The Stingers' latest addition to the squad, Don Mordeno, put up a good shooting performance for 22 points to topscore for the team.

Ronald Arabia and Rio Oblido each contributed 10 points in the victory.

On the other hand, Geve Leones had a game-high of 26 points for Team Wayne while Majomar Aying poured in 22 points to a losing cause.

Both teams started badly but Team Wayne were quick to adapt to the game. The Stingers looked lost on several possessions and seemed out of shape coming into the game.

Team Wayne exploited the weakness with fastbreak points to open up a 21-13 lead heading into the second quarter.

The Stingers came out a different side in the second period, opening with an 11-0 run to grab the lead at 24-21 after four minutes from their opponents. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Always the bridesmaids, never the brides

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, May 15, 2010

THIRD time was not the charm for the Ilonggo Stingers but would it be
fourth time lucky for the Belait side?

The Stingers have all the losses etched into their hearts but are still in high spirits looking to end their title drought at the 2010 Belait Sultan's Cup.

Having appeared in three consecutive finals, they had ended up second best during all those occasions. But they are hoping for better luck at the
Belait Sultan's Cup which tips off today at the Kampung Baru basketball
court in Seria.

It was in the same tournament last July where they let a 21-point lead slip away before losing 79-78 in the final to Hyundai Setia Motors, the 2009 national team, on a last second shot by Jong Guo Zhang.

Their fortunes didn't change when they lost to the Ilonggo Slashers 72-63 in the final of the Brunei Shell Recreational Club (BSRC) five-on-five Open basketball tournament in February.

It finally looked like their luck had changed in the final of the BBA Open
Challenge Trophy when they had a 25-point advantage only for Plaza
Sutera Biru to storm back to claim the championship with an 83-77 victory.

"I think in the last three tournaments we lost the title because the referees made calls that didn't go our way," said Rhaul Palma Jr, the head coach of the Stingers, in an interview with The Brunei Times, yesterday.

"It was frustrating because we played hard right from the start but in the end the games got decided by the referees. It was disappointing, but it was part of the game," he added.

"We respected them (the decisions) but they were the important ones during the games. But it was beyond our control. We hope that they can step up for all the games in the Sultan's Cup," he continued. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Crock cagers forced to take a break

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, May 15, 2010

National team to miss Belait Sultan's Cup and Sukma

SOME things are just inevitable. Take the national basketball team, for
example, the Brunei side were forced to take a break after half the team were on injury list.

The team are already in phase two of their training programme to prepare for the Belait Sultan's Cup, which starts today, but have decided to pull out of the tournament.

The team will also not be on the plane to Melaka to compete at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) next month.

"Sukma is just too much too soon for us. There are a lot of things for us to concentrate on especially that we're aiming for the SEA Games in Jakarta next year," said Kevin Reece, the national basketball coach, in an interview with The Brunei Times, yesterday.

"We are short on manpower at present as half the team are down with injuries. We need them to get physically better and I don't see the point of having an under strength team compete at the Seria tournament," he added.

"What I want to see from the team is improvement and they won't be able to do it at 95 or 98 per cent. We will need them to be at 100 per cent to produce that," continued the 49-year-old coach.

However, the American assured that the team are on road to recovery thanks to the facilities provided by the Youth and Sports Department under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (JBS).

"They are seeing the physios and I will talk to them on what can be done. There is no deadline for full recovery as well.

"The JBS team are doing a great job on providing the facilities to us
regardless of the players being in the A or B team," added the LA Lakers
fan.

The national coach, however, is keeping himself busy working with the healthy players on the squad.

"The team are currently working on their defence. We're focusing on our footwork as at the last tournament (the BBA Open Challenge Trophy) we didn't do as well when it came to moving our feet," said Reece. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Tan and Co want a Double

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, May 14, 2010

PLAZA SUTERA BIRU will be hoping to make it a double when the
Belait Sultan's Cup tips off tomorrow at the Kampung Baru basketball
court in Seria.

Boasting several former players from the Barracudas roster Esmond Tan, Presley Ho, Xavier Fong and Lim Aik Hock and guided by the former assistant coach of the Barracudas, Wong Yee Chai, they are labelled the favourites of the tournament after winning the BBA Open Challenge Trophy by defeating the Ilonggo Stingers 83-77 in the final at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) court in Batu Bersurat last month.

The camp is still in high spirits despite taking more of a laidback approach heading into the competition.

"We have had three training sessions since we won the last tournament. The team took some time off but I think, at this point, we're slowly getting back in shape," said Tan, the captain of Plaza Sutera Biru, in an interview with The Brunei Times, yesterday.

"It will be tough just like the previous competition but we believe that we stand a good chance for a run to another championship," added the 26-year-old cager.

However, the former Barracudas guard might not see action in every game
due to work commitments but is confident that his team can deliver the goods.

"We're aiming to win every tournament that we compete in. At least that
is our goal as long as we stick together as a team," said the Tutong native. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Hoops talk with Coach Reece

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Kevin Antoine Reece or Khairul Ameer Ridwan is working hard to
improve the quality of basketball in Brunei. The 49-year-old Los
Angeles-native, who was appointed Brunei basketball coach last December, recently took a break from his busy schedule to talk all things basketball, and more to YEE CHUN LEONG

Q: Hello Coach Reece. Let's start with a personal question: is being a basketball coach your
dream career?

A: It wasn't, actually. I wanted to become a doctor, but I couldn't stand the sight of blood. After that in my teenage years I thought of being a mortician. I was fascinated by medicine and the human body. But when I started high school there were only two real choices for me American football and basketball.

American football was actually my best sport. I was a very physical player on the football field. But I had to switch to my second passion when I was 16. I eventually ended up playing and coaching basketball.

Q: Why did you choose basketball?

A: It was actually my parents who helped me out with the choice. My mother was worried about me playing football since there was a lot of contact in the sport. She was worried that I would sustain injuries from that sport. My dad fully supported me in any decision that I made. He just made sure that I went with the feel and should be certain.

Q: Did anyone else inspire you?

A: Lorenzo Romar, the head coach of the University of Washington. He was the one that gave me the confidence needed to play the game. He pushed me through and the rest of my journey just went nicely. I'm living my childhood dream.

Q: Why didn't you play in the NBA?

A: I was invited for tryouts with NBA teams (Los Angeles Clippers,
Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors) but I left to play in Europe right after I graduated in 1984.

Then in 1988, I left for New Zealand and played professional basketball in Australia. I have no regrets that I declined the Warriors (in 1988) as my first daughter was born that year. Furthermore, I was already an established player in Australia already.

Q: Does being a Muslim help you to become a better coach?

A: It does because Islam teaches patience. This is very important in my job and everyday life.

Q: Now that you have seen the Brunei basketball scene, what do you think about it?

A: I think Brunei has a lot of room to improve especially in the area of
developing it's grassroots programmes. The most important ages for boys and girls in basketball to develop is 6-12 years old. This gives you a
support system or feeder programme for the upper divisions. I feel we
can meet that target with the support and resources available in the country. Brunei could become one of the best countries in this region, but this will not come over night. We must all remember that when it comes to development it's a marathon not a sprint. There are no
shortcuts or quick fixes to success. For such a long time from my
understanding nothing or not enough was being done and it took the breath and life out of playing basketball. But, I think, now there's a
buzz going around in our basketball community, because of the schemes that we were able to interject through our new system. I see and hear it from people coming up and saying: Coach, it was over 60 kids at the Sunday morning training session. These people are happy to see the youth coming out to learn, train and improve their skills in the game of basketball. We have some ex-national players that come out on a regular basis and train with us and even school teachers participate in these sessions to learn drills to take back to their schools and implement them in their basketball programmes. This is our goal to open the doorsto all to find potential players and coaches to improve the standard of development and play.

Q: Have you identified those potential national players?

A: Yes, the coaching staff and I have taken note of all potential national team players that are presently here and we are also waiting for a few players to come back to Brunei they are studying abroad.

Q: What kind of players are you looking for?

A: It's simple, players that love the game and are willing to work hard.

Q: Are there any main players who are not on the national team?

A: There is none for we believe as coaches we must go with the tools that have been given to us. Until we've seen those candidates up close and personal they don't exist. Why? Because it puts your team on an
emotional roller coaster and creates what we call a false sense of hope
and as coaches we can't have that because teams are very fragile.

One player, however, has notified us that he's not able or available to
train for the national team. We respect his decision. But my coaching
staff and I have left the door open for this player to train for the national team when he feels he is ready.

Q: You are a firm believer in 'defence is the best offence' policy. Why is that?

A: Defence wins games and it creates havoc among your opponents. If a team play defence they will be in every game that is being played. Through your defence you create more offensive opportunities from the opponents turning the ball over. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Belait Sultan's Cup basketball tourney

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, May 6, 2010

THIS is the final call for all basketball teams in the Sultanate.

The Kuala Belait Basketball Association will be organising the annual
Belait Sultan's Cup at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Seria.

Slated to begin on May 12. The tournament is open to players with a valid Brunei identity card.

Wong Ming Ching, the chairman of the organising committee, said that they are expecting more than 10 teams to register for the competition which will be played in the group format.

More information and entry forms can be obtained from Wong at 3228686 or 8758873, Michael Kheng at 8806662 or Liew Tze Sing at 8726383.

The Belait District has been abuzz with basketball with the recent
conclusions of the 2nd Brunei Youth Basketball Championship (BYBC)
Under-16, Under-18 and Under-21 over the past two months.

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Easyway defend their way to U-21 crown

Yee Chun Leong
KUALA BELAIT

Sunday, May 2, 2010

SOON LEE/EASYWAY defended their way to their second consecutive
championship with a 58-54 victory over Prysmian in the 2nd Under-21 Brunei Youth Basketball Championship (BYBC) at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Seria last night.

Hj Md Badri Hj Suhaili of Soon Lee/Easyway had the game-high of 16 points, all coming in the second half.

Lim Liang Wei was the other player with double figures contributing 10 points in the victory.

On the other hand, Yeo Chun Kiat topscored for Prysmian with 14 points while Liew Ming Yang and Ho Boon Siong each chipped in 11 points to a losing cause.

Prysmian had taken a 39-38 lead over Soon Lee/Easyway heading into the final stanza, but the defending champions stepped up at the defensive end with a full court pressure defence and limited their opponents at the offensive end with their first field goal coming after three minutes of play in the fourth quarter.

Hj Md Badri had the hot hands knocking down three triples in the period for 11 points.

Prsymian couldn't break the press and were making passes which were easily turned into fastbreak points for Soon Lee/Easyway.

The all-Seria side were facing a 51-41 deficit at the midway mark but fought their way back with some good defence and offensive rebounding.

With the scoreboard reading 58-56 to Soon Lee/Easyway with 30 seconds to go, a quick pass at the halfway line by Yeo was easily intercepted which led to a foul on Soon Kian Leong at the other end. Soon would calmly sink both free throws making it a two-possession game that sealed Prsymian's fate.

"It was all about the focus. I scored zero points in the first half but kept my emphasis on defence. I had the rhythm going on offence in the second half with the pressure coming from the crowd and I just wanted to make my shots," said Hj Md Badri.

Prysmian got off to a better start compared to Soon Lee/Easyway scoring the first two baskets of the match to open up a 5-0 advantage. However, that was all they could put on the scoreboard in the opening period as they went cold from the field as Soon Lee/Easyway capped off a 14-0 run to end the quarter up 14-5.

Soon Lee/Easyway couldn't get anything going on their set plays while Prysmian applied their half court trap in the second period and started to score again. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Easyway, Prysmian book final tickets

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, May 1, 2010

THE pundits were spot on. Soon Lee/Easyway easily defeated Chicken King 74-47 in the semi-finals of the 2nd Under-21 Brunei Youth Basketball Championship (BYBC) to set up a final date with Prysmian at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Seria.

Five players were in double figures for Soon Lee/Easyway with Ching Wei Ming, Khoo Chin Kai and Soon Kian Leong each scoring 13 points while Lim Liang Wei and Hj Md Badri Hj Suhaili each contributed 12 points in the victory.

The defending champions came out with a watertight defence and finished off the opening period up 22-3, limiting their opponents to just one field goal and one free throw.

The game seemed over at halftime with Soon Lee/Easyway extending their advantage to 37-10 at halftime.

"Today (Friday) we played our best match and it was the type of game we should play. The defence was great and we really showed what the team are capable of," said Jamri Ramlee, the captain of Soon Lee/Easyway, in an interview with The Brunei Times, after the triumph.

"We played with great teamwork against a quality team. We communicated well on court to clamp down their slashers to prevent them from scoring," added Jamri.

Asked about the final, the 19-year-old cager replied: "I think we deserve a slot in the final as we have worked hard to get here. We know it's going to be tough but the team's spirit is high and we're in a confident mood."

In contrast, Prysmian were made to work hard scoring a 65-63 victory over American International Industries (AII) in the second semi-final.

Ho Boon Siong was the topscorer for Prysmian with 16 points and Liew Ming Yang chipped in 11 points in the triumph.

The game was tied before Justin Ling nailed the game-winning free-throws that settled the match.

It was a close affair right from the start with Prysmian down 27-28 at halftime.

"We just couldn't get anything going tonight (Friday night)," said Yeo Chun Kiat, a forward of Prysmian, who was injured in the first quarter and had to sit out.

"I believe our opponents have the advantage now in the final as we have to play three days in a row. It's tiring as some of the players have to come up from Bandar to play while others have picked up injuries," added Yeo.

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...