Y@ppe IT will fight to the end

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, July 31, 2010

ESMOND TAN and co are definitely in the hunt for their third title of the year when the Sultan's Cup tips off today at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) court in Batu Bersurat.

Playing under the banner of Y@ppe IT Store this time around, they are considered to be one of the top contenders of the tournament boasting several former Barracudas players Tan, Presley Ho and Xavier Fong.

The team, playing as Plaza Sutera Biru (PSB), had lifted the BBA Open Challenge Trophy with only seven players after erasing a 25-point deficit to defeat the Ilonggo Stingers 83-77 in the final at the BBA court in April.

They claimed a double by winning the 2010 Yong Sok Cup by stealing a win from the same opponents in a 61-60 comeback victory at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Seria in May.

"This is going to be a tough tournament as we didn't get any training done but we'll definitely fight for a chance at the championship and not let anything go down easily," said Tan, during an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

The team has also undergone some changes as they will be missing the services of their starting playmaker in Lim Aik Hock, who will now be suiting up for Soon Lee-Easyway.

"We have added (Foo) Kian Ming into the lineup to fill up the slot and also Leslie (Chia) would have to step up in that position too," said Tan.

"In addition, we'll also have (Jong) Guo Zhang and Leslie back into the lineup unlike the previous tournament (GHK Trophy)," he added.

The Tutong native featured for Fontanaz in the recently concluded 2010 Goh Hock Kee Trophy but he only managed to lace up for their final group match against Propel Services which they won 94-52.

Despite the convincing win, it was not enough for them to qualify for the semi-finals.

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Palms unite to take on Sultan's Cup

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, July 30, 2010

Palm Cafe are gunning for a double when the Sultan's Cup tips off tomorrow at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) court in Batu Bersurat.

The team captured the 2nd Queenielin's Cup with a 73-64 victory over their sister team, Palm Muara United, earlier this month.

Now they have selected the best from both sides, except for Geve Leones who will lace up for Sharks instead, to form a team that will make them contenders for the championship.

The team have plenty of firepower on the offensive end, boasting several familiar and potent players including Majomar Aying, Vincent Superio, Mark Del Mundo, Allan Caringal and Danny Felicilda in the lineup.

"We're confident of getting a double but it is easier said than done. It's good to be playing alongside Aying once again. There are other strong teams in the tournament such as MK Kids Salon and Sharks," Palm Cafe point guard Don Mordeno informed The Brunei Times yesterday.

The first two tournaments 2009 Brunei Pepsi Cup and LBC Cup where both Aying and Mordeno played together before splitting up resulted in championships.

Nonetheless, the camp is in high spirits and have started training for almost an entire month, heading into the competition.

The national team (Soon Lee) will also be a difficult team and we are preparing for them just in case we meet in the tournament," said Mordeno.

"We have started preparing early with three two-hour training sessions a week and getting more running done to improve on our stamina," he added.

When asked if the squad had any players on the injury list, the 29-year-old Filipino replied: "Only (Fred) Palastas and (Ronnel) Sugnan have slight injuries to their knees but it shouldn't be much to worry about.

Organised by the BBA, a total of 14 teams separated into three groups are vying for top honours in the annual tournament. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Brunei vets eye Borneo Cup gold

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, July 30, 2010

Brunei is hoping to get back to its winning ways as it prepares to fight for gold in the Veteran's Category of the upcoming 2010 Borneo Cup basketball tournament.

Hosted by the Sultanate, the tournament will be contested at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat from August 13 - 15.

The three-day competition will feature three categories - Men's Open, Men's Veteran (40 years old and above) and Women's Open - and Brunei will feature in all of them.

In its 11th edition this year, Brunei has won the trophy six times in the veteran's category but fell short last year, settling for silver while hosts Miri won gold.

Coached by Lim Fung, the roster of veteran cagers will see a cast of familiar faces including Soon Ching Long, Lim Eng Ahn, Rosli Said, Ho Poh San, Goh Kok An, Chen Fen Mei, Khoo Eng Chong, Adam Albert Chu, Tony Tan, Lim Chin Teck, Woo Min Kong, Chan Chig Yen and Goh Hock Lai.

"We have played together for some time already so the jelling is there. I believe that we should have a 50-50 chance of winning this year," Soon told The Brunei Times yesterday.

"However, we haven't had much time to prepare for the tournament but we'll put up our best effort in hopes of winning. It won't be easy though, knowing the level of competition from the other teams," he said.

"We have added two players Tony and Chan into the team as well, as they have just turned 40 this year. They are very good additions for the team especially since we usually play together," added the 49-year-old. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Brunei name women's team for Borneo Cup

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Unlike their male counterparts, who are set and ready to enter the 2010 Borneo Cup with their guns blazing, Maxim Yap, the assistant national basketball coach, finally announced his lineup for the national women's basketball team yesterday.

Yap had been holding trials and training sessions since April and the names on the list — Lin Xiao Mei, Fiona Shim, Lim Sheau Chien, Mash Abdullah, Vanessa Pang, Sandy Yu, Grace Chin, Hafizah Dudley, Yvonne Ha, Amanda Tia, Chua Ing Siah and Lim Giuk Ting — will be representing Brunei at the August 13-15 tournament which the Sultanate will play host to.

"The players listed have been selected based on their attendance and performance during training. Some that I've selected are a bit younger than previous years but they will be there for future development," said Yap, in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

"The lineup is quite fresh and we aren't exactly going for the win at the moment. We're still undersize and lack height but it's still a good squad to make an impact. However, some are still lacking the basics though," he added.

The 30-year-old is using all his resources available to prepare his team for the annual tournament. The only available slots for him to hold training sessions are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7.30pm at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) court in Batu Bersurat.

"There are too many tournaments ongoing at the BBA court. All we have is one and a half hours of proper training. Some of the players only get off work at 5.30pm and get to the court at around 6pm," explained Yap. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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No time for complacency, says coach Reece

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, July 29, 2010

The wait may finally be over for the national basketball team but Kevin Reece, the national basketball coach, feels that there is never a time to feel complacent.

Playing under the banner of Soon Lee-Easyway 'A', they struck gold for the first time under the American, who has taken up the post half a year ago, with a 113-53 thrashing of Hata Rekajaya Sdn Bhd in the final to emerge the champions of the 2010 Goh Hock Kee Cup on Tuesday night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

"The team have constantly been improving and we have been making adjustments to get the job done. They have persevered and finally they got it done," said Reece, in an interview with The Brunei Times, after the victory.

"We can never be satisfied even after winning. I've been blessed with many wins in my lifetime but you would want to win every time - every game, every tournament, every championship," added the 50-year-old. "It is never enough. Looking at it in a realistic way, I judge by the standards from my background and it doesn't matter on what level as a coach, winning is everything," continued the American. The team will be looking forward to compete in the upcoming Sultan's Cup which starts on Saturday and their aim remains the same.

"The target is always the same and we'll be hoping to pull another streak of good results. We're slowly developing and getting better individually and as a team too," said the Los Angeles native.

With a busy calendar year, the national cagers have competed in a string of tournaments and will also be competing in the 2010 Borneo Cup, which the Sultanate is hosting, from August 13-15.

"It would have been good if all these tournaments would have been spaced out throughout the calendar year. I think we're at a disadvantage because of the fasting month (Ramadan) at that time and also with Hari Raya fast approaching," said the LA Lakers fan.

Nonetheless, the American feels that they are ready for the challenges ahead.

"We've been practising a lot to get ourselves prepared for situations where we have to play back-to-back games," said Reece

"But it's all good that we get to play many games. This will only help build on our mental toughness and we can prepare for future tournaments," he concluded.

Source: The Brunei Times

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'Easy' win on coach's birthday

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

(photo: The national basketball team, under the banner of Soon Lee-Easyway 'A', celebrate with Kevin Reece, the national basketball coach, after their 113-53 triumph over Hata Rekajaya Sdn Bhd in the final of the 2010 Goh Hock Kee Cup at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat. Picture: BT/Yee Chun Leong)

The national basketball team couldn't have given national basketball coach Kevin Reece a better birthday present.

Playing under the banner of Soon Lee-Easyway 'A', they were crowned the champions of the 2010 Goh Hock Kee Cup after a sound victory over Hata Rekajaya Sdn Bhd 113-53 in last night's final, contested at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

It was the team's first gold medal and they even bought a cake for the
American in celebration of his 50th birthday with the candles to be blown out after the victory.

"It was really unexpected to say the least. It was the manager's (Wira
Pori) idea and it summed up the good day. It also plays a significance
especially that I hit the 5-0. I'll probably remember this championship
more than the others," Reece told The Brunei Times after the triumph.

Three players hit double figures for Soon Lee-Easyway 'A' with Yap Chun
Ping leading the way with 21 points. Choo Yung Jian poured in 20 points
and Ben Sim added an additional 18 points to the victory.

Tony Bong topscored for Hata Rekajaya Sdn Bhd with 13 points and Nicholas Boey contributed 12 in the losing effort.

Soon Lee-Easyway 'A' got off to a hot start with a 12-0 run before Loo
Zhi Hung hit a layup to put Hata Rekajaya Sdn Bhd on the scoreboard on
the seventh minute mark.

The national side were pressing their opponents early on and managed to pick up steals which they took advantage of to score easy points on the break.

They were also dominating the boards and Choo summed up the first period with a three-point buzzer taking a 33-11 lead into the second quarter.

Hata Rekajaya Sdn Bhd couldn't get things going at the offensive end with their opponents putting up a watertight defence. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Reece's cagers in their 1st final

Jason Thomas

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Kevin Reece (pic) believes the time has come.
After being frustrated in their previous two tournaments, the national team's coach has finally guided his boys to their first final.

Playing under the guise of Soon Lee-Easyway 'A', they beat defending champions Dodge 91-85 last night to book their ticket into tonight's Goh Hock Kee Cup 2010 championship match.

With a mountain of expectation forced on the team's shoulders ever since they were banded, they can go a long way to relieve that weight if they triumph against Hata Rekajaya Sdn Bhd at 8.15pm today.

Hata Rekajaya edged Soon Lee-Easyway 'C' 82-81 in overtime after the game was tied 75-75 at the end of four quarters in the other semi-final.

"We've been so close in all the other tournaments," sighed a relieved Reece after the tense semi-final at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

"Sometimes it was because of a few bad plays that the other team scraped through. We beat ourselves most of the time.

"But you can see that we are improving. Our first tournament we reached the quarter-finals (BBA Open Challenge Trophy in March), then the semi-finals (9th National Sports Carnival earlier this month) and now the final.

"I think we've got one more game to go, once we win the championship the players will be more equipped (heading into other tournaments).

"I have to give credit to Dodge; they played like the champions they were. My saying is that if you want to be the champions you have to beat the champions, so I hope we can go all the way now," added the Los Angeles native.

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Source: The Brunei Times

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Easyway at war: The A Team they are not

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, July 26, 2010

When the cat's away the mouse will play.

The absence of national coach Kevin Reece proved decisive in last night's Goh Hock Kee Cup 2010 match between Soon Lee-Easyway 'A' and Soon Lee-Easyway 'C'.

Filled to the brim with players from the national team but without the
American on the bench to hold their hands, Soon Lee-Easyway 'A' lacked direction and lost to their 'C' counterparts 87-75.

Reece could not be at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat because of 'personal reasons', and it was a good thing he wasn't because he would have been even more animated than usual had he seen his players' half-hearted performance.

"Without coach Reece there was less pressure on them. That also meant they were less focused," explained Soon Lee-Easyway 'A' assistant coach Maxim Yap of the loss. "They had the lead but they lost focus.

"Shooting guard Yap Chun Ping and point guard Poh Yung Hui were injured, and Muiz Abdul Ghani had a groin problem so we had to depend on our bench.

"It's not really an excuse but the result wouldn't have any consequence since we are already through (to the semi-finals). We could afford to run our subs out.

"We wanted to run our subs out but as you can see, they can't make it."

Yap spoke too soon.

After checking with the organisers, he found out the result meant Soon
Lee-Easyway 'A' finish as runners-up in Group A while Soon Lee-Easyway 'C' pip them for top spot. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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SH benefit in unfinished business

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, July 25, 2010

IT was an unbefitting ending to a final which could have been so much more.

SH were crowned the champions of the 23 years old and below Brunei Youth Basketball Tournament in a game that was marked by controversy.

SH were leading 76-61 against Jia Hua Enterprise with more than three
minutes to play before the game was put to a halt due to downpour.

"Actually the organisers wanted to postpone the match but we couldn't accept that because some of the players on the team will be playing in the upcoming Sultan Cup and also the Borneo Cup too. It would be a waste for the players to make their way from Bandar just to play three minutes," SH forward Lim Liang Wei told The Brunei Times after the win.

"We were willing to give the match to them (Jia Hua Enterprise) but they
came to the conclusion to just give it to us since we were leading at
that point," he said.

Foo Gwen Tong was the topscorer for SH with 22 points while Soon Kian Leong and Lim poured in 17 and 11 points respectively in the win.

Hung Jiunn Nan scored a game-high 24 points to pace Jia Hua Enterprise while Choo Yung Kang contributed 12 points and Hii Wei chipped in another 11 to the losing cause. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Why isn't Tan on the national team

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, July 24, 2010

ESMOND TAN has revealed to The Brunei Times that the chances of him to make it into Brunei's new national squad were already slim from
the start, due to his personal commitments.

National basketball coach Kevin Reece has assembled the team to represent Brunei at the 2010 Borneo Cup, which the Sultanate will host from Aug 13-15, but the new national side will not feature Tan, arguably the best cager in the country, in the line-up.

Reece had called out to all potential players in the country to step forward and attend tryouts to be part of the national team last month and Tan had failed to attend any sessions.

"I couldn't make myself available for training because of work commitments. I just came back from a holiday and there was no way I
could have made it to the selection," said Tan, when met at the Brunei
International Airport in Berakas yesterday.

"I haven't been playing as much as well. All I could do was shoot a couple of hoops during my free time," added the former Barracudas player.

Tan had been on a sabbathical for the past month with a getaway to Australia and only returned yesterday.

The 26-year-old, who is working for Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), will not be available from July 29 - August 13 since he will be offshore.

"I just wish the team all the best in the upcoming tournament to do the
country proud." The new team comprise of a slightly different line-up
compared to Reece's previous selection, back in March, as players were
selected based on their performances during the 9th National Sports
Festival (PSK) which concluded late last month.

Ben Sim, Lim Liang Wei and Choo Yung Jian are the players that represented the Belait district while Pg Md Faizuladzmi Pg Tajuddin is the sole cager from the Tutong district. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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No place for Tan in 'new' team

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, July 23, 2010

National basketball coach Kevin Reece has finally assembled a team that will represent Brunei at the 2010 Borneo Cup, which the Sultanate
will host from Aug 13-15, but the 'new' national side will not feature
Esmond Tan in the line-up.

Reece had called out to all potential players in the country to attend tryouts to be a part of the national team last month and Tan, who is arguably the best cager in the country, had failed to comply.

The new team comprise of a slightly different line-up compared to his previous selection, back in March, as players have been selected based on their performances during the 9th National Sports Festival (PSK) which concluded late last month.

Benjamin Norman Sim, Lim Liang Wei and Choo Yung Jian are the players that represented the Belait district while Pg Md Faizuladzmi Pg Tajuddin is the sole cager from the Tutong district.

The duo of Soon Kian Leong and Lim Aik Hock represented Temburong while the rest of the team Hj Md Badri Hj Suhaili, Yap Chun Ping, Muhd Zainul Ashyraf Hj Hussin, Po Yung Hui, Tan Ye Wei and Muiz Hj Abdul Ghani laced up for the Brunei-Muara district.

"We've chosen some of the players that have been impressive. These will also be the ones to compete at the upcoming Sultan's Cup at the end of the month. The players on the list are all deserving as everyone has got an equal opportunity to be there, "Reece told The Brunei Times yesterday.

"Some of them didn't step forward and so we just had to fill in the spots. If they didn't want to play then we couldn't force them but I've no regret with the decision," he added.

Reece felt that the squad have plenty of youth and athleticism including added height with the addition of the 6ft 5in frame of Muhd Zainul into the line-up.

"The team needed height and he will help us tremendously making the side more all-around. He'll be given a chance to make the team better in the future," said the American coach.

Asked about their training sessions especially in the fasting month of Ramadan, Reece replied: "I'll use my past experience as a player. The players will need to eat proper food to get them through.

"But it would surely help if fasting month occurred a week earlier. But there's nothing we can do about it and we'll go through it," concluded the Los Angeles native.

There will be three categories contested for the three-day competition: Men's Open, Men's Veteran (40 years old and above) and Women's Open. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Agel hand Jia Hua 1st defeat

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, July 23, 2010

Agel extended their unbeaten streak to four games with a 64-49 victory over Jia Hua Enterprise in Group B of the 23 years old and below of the Brunei Youth Basketball Tournament at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Seria last night.

Liew Ming Yang and Darren Wong each poured in 10 points to pace Agel.

Choo Yung Kang and Hung Jiunn Nan each had matching game-highs of 16 points to a losing cause.

Both teams got off to equal starts and they were finding it hard to get it
going at the offensive end. It remained close and the game was deadlocked at 13-13 heading into the second quarter.

Agel were not playing their usual game and were not passing the ball much. They were rushing their shots but somehow managed to open up a 31-21 advantage at halftime.

Agel regrouped in the third quarter and started knocking down shots from both the inside and outside.

Jia Hua Enterprise were left flat-footed for much of the period but didn't
let their opponents run away with the scoreboard reading 45-33 going into the final stanza.

With both teams having already booked their berths in the semi-finals, the game was kept close but it was not enough to prevent Jia Hua Enterprise from falling to their first defeat of the tournament.

"We didn't play well in the first half as everyone was too excited to get on the scoresheet since both teams had already made it into the semi-finals. We didn't play with any teamwork while our rivals played pretty well," said Yeo Chun Kiat, a forward of Agel, in an interview with The Brunei Times, after the win.

"We had a team talk at halftime and adjusted at both ends of the floor. We executed well on offence and did everything needed on defence by boxing out for rebounds too," added Yeo.

Agel will now face SH, who easily disposed of Kode-Name 60-26 in Group A in the second game, in the semi-finals today at 8.15pm.

Asked about their encounter against SH, Yeo replied: "We have good confidence to play against them as we have met them in previous tournaments before. We know their style of play and we know what we have to do. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Reece-ky play but still an Easy win

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, July 23, 2010

It was an interesting match to watch but what most would take away
from yesterday's match up between Soon Lee-Easyway 'A' and Propel
Services is a series of bizzare incidents which resulted in the send off
of Soon Lee-Easyway 'A' coach Kevin Reece.

With approximately one minute to go in the third stanza, Reece was given a straight ejection from two technical fouls, a result of arguing a call with a referee.

It, however, did not end there as the referee decided to leave the game as well to put the match at a standstill for some 20 minutes.

"It was a miscommunication on both sides that went awry but fortunately didn't escalate further," said Reece.

When everything was said and done, it was Soon Lee-Easyway 'A' that
prevailed against Propel Services 99-81 in Group A of the Goh Hock Kee
Cup 2010 last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu
Bersurat.

Four players hit double figures for Soon Lee-Easyway 'A' with Ben Sim picking up 20 points. Lim Liang Wei contributed 18 points and Po Yung Hui added 17 points to his name. Yap Chun Ping also scored 10 points in the victory.

Pheng Shen Fu topscored for Propel Services with 20 points and Kenny Lim poured in 14. Lim How and Tan Kah Boon chipped in 13 and 10 points respectively in the losing effort.

Soon Lee-Easyway got it going in the opening period as they employed a man-to-man pressure defence in hopes of wearing down their opponents.

They were also executing well and knocking down their jumpshots on the other side of the court. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Brunei To Host Borneo City Basketball Tournament

Written by James Kon

Friday, 23 July 2010 08:50

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei Darussalam will play host to the 11th
Borneo City Basketball Invitational Tournament from Aug 13-15.

Teams from Miri, Kota Kinabalu and Labuan as well as Brunei are scheduled to take part in the tournament.

The event is split into three categories namely Men's Open, Female
and Veteran. The opening ceremony will be held on Friday (Aug 13) at the Batu Bersurat Basketball Court.

The third meeting in preparation of the tournament was held yesterday. The meeting was chaired by Wong Ming Ching, the chairman of the organising committee. Also present was Khoo Eng Cheong, the deputy chairman.

Brunei will be taking part in all three categories. The main focus will be the Men's Open whereby local basketball star will parade their skills.

The name list of the Brunei men basketball team was finalized. They are Mohammad Badri, Benjamin Norman Sim, Yap Chun Ping, Mohammad bin Pengiram Tajuddin, Muhd Zainal Ashyraf bin Hj Hussin, Lim Liang Wei, Choo Yung Hui, Tan Ye Wei, Muhd Nu' iz bin Hj Abdul Ghani, Soon Kian Leong and Lim Aik Hock.

National coach Kebin Reece is the team coach and is assisted by Maxin Yap. The team manager is Wira Pori.

In an interview, Reece on the diverse Brunei team said: "When I took
up the job as the national coach, I wanted to change and build up the
national Learn.

"The team comprised a mixture of young and experienced players. They are all good players but not the best team yet."

"In two years time, Brunei will have the best team ever. My motto is emphasis on development.

We have players of 15 to 17 years old who will be groomed to be great
players and can be featured in regional and international tournaments,"
Reece added.

During the meeting, Ang Swee Hoo was elected as the director of referees together with Tan Mei Ling.

Source: Borneo Bulletin

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'Easyway' finding things not so easy

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Propel Services fended off a strong challenge by Soon Lee-Easyway 'C'
to come up with a 90-87 win in the Goh Hock Kee Cup last night at the
Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Five players got into double figures for Propel Services with Kenny Lim
notching a game-high of 26 points including four treys to his name.

Elwin Chong poured in 15 points and Teo Hong Keong contributed 14. An Dre and Lim How chipped in 11 and 10 points respectively in the win.

On the other hand, Soon Lee-Easyway 'C', made up of the Department of Youth And Sports (JBS) Scheme under national coach, Kevin Reece, had five of their players in double figures as well. Foo Gwen Tong led the way with 21 points and Khoo Chin Kai scored 18 points. Hj Md Rahmat Hj Suhaili poured in 17 while Soon Kian Leong and Ching Wei Ming had 12 and 10 points respectively in the losing effort.

It was tight game right from the start with both teams turning it up at the defensive end. Soon Lee-Easyway 'C' applied a full court pressure defence strategy but their opponents would press break with good passing early on. However, both got into the penalty early but Soon Lee-Easyway 'C' failed to capitalise from the charity stripe. Lim fired from half court as the buzzer sounded that shot Propel Services to a 24-13 lead heading into the second quarter.

Propel Services were covering the passing lanes and eventually extended their lead to 41-22 midway through the second period. Soon Lee-Easyway 'C' were shooting bricks while their opponents were firing on all cylinders from beyond the arc. However, they regrouped and penetrated to the hoop to stay within 48-38 at halftime.

Soon Lee-Easyway 'C' opened the stanza with a 6-0 run but Propel Services would answer with five unanswered points of their own in the next minute.

Soon Lee-Easyway 'C' remained aggressive to find points in paint and draw fouls off their opponents. They were pressing the dribbler and eventually cut the deficit to 64-58 going into the final quarter. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Sultan's Cup good to go

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, July 10, 2010

THE Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) announced that they will be organising the annual Sultan's Cup basketball competition during a committee meeting at the BBA court in Batu Bersurat last night.
Scheduled to be held on July 31, the competition, which will be contested at the same venue, will be divided into the Men's and Women's categories.

It is open to all ballers holding a valid Brunei identity card.

Interested parties can obtain their entry forms from the BBA court.

Completed registration forms with entry fees of $300 for the Men's category and $200 for the Women's category are to be handed in to the organisers on or before the closing date on July 25.

More information can be obtained by contacting the BBA head organiser, Soon Ching Long, at 8770316 or Ang at 8897449.

The organising committee is expecting participation from some 20 teams in the Men's category, in addition to four for the Women's category.

The last open tournament organised by the BBA was the BBA Open Challenge Trophy, held in March where Plaza Sutera Biru emerged as the champions after erasing a 25-point deficit to defeat the Ilonggo Stingers 83-77 in the final.

Meanwhile, the Borneo City Cup was also among the agenda for discussion last night.

The Sultanate is set to host the tournament from August 13-15 with the venue yet to be confirmed.

There will be three categories contested for the cup Men's Open, Men's Veteran (40 years old and above) and Women's Open categories.

The games will be played over the course of three days.

A total of four teams including Brunei with Kota Kinabalu, Miri and Labuan being the others, have confirmed their participation in all three categories for the annual competition.

Source: The Brunei Times

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Palm Cafe crowned Kings in Queenielin

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, July 11, 2010

(photo: The Champs with the Organizers, FAB Officers and Sponsors.)

PALM CAFE emerged the champions of the 2nd Queenielin's Cup with a
hard fought 73-64 victory over their sister team, Palm Muara United, last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Jolito Entapan had the game-high of 18 points to lead Palm Cafe while Majomar Aying and Danny Felicilda each poured in 14 points in the victory. On the other hand, Armando Estoesta scored 17 points for Palm Muara United in a losing effort.

Both teams got off to a slow start and the scoreboard reads 12-9 in favour of Palm Muara United midway through the opening period.

They clearly had the height and size advantage but Palm Cafe managed to outhustle them on rebounds. Palm Muara United were moving the ball and shot the ball well, which saw them take a 16-13 lead into the second period.

Palm Cafe were driving to the hoop and settled for the dish to open teammates to get points inside the paint.

They picked it up a notch at the defensive end by pressuring their opponents' ball handler resulting in turnovers.

Palm Muara United managed to get some easy points on the break but went cold on offence midway through the stanza.

Palm Cafe exploited the situation and grabbed the lead from the opponents to carry a 31-24 advantage into the break.

Aying, who was seated for the second quarter after picking two quick fouls in the opening period, ignited Palm Cafe for seven straight unanswered points in two minutes to extend their lead to 38-24, which is the biggest of the night at that point.

Estoesta would carry Palm Muara United on his shoulders for 10 points in the period.

However, it was not enough as Palm Cafe had a 49-37 cushion going into the final quarter.

Both teams were playing man-to-man defence but it was Palm Cafe that had the better deal out of it.

They were making steals that saw them get easy points on the break.

The match got really intense and physical as both teams battled for position and rebounds in the final five minutes. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Wildcats faster than BMW

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, July 5, 2010

BMW were sent crashing out after the GILR Wildcats defeated them
75-65 in a must-win match last night to top Group B of the 2nd Queenielin's Cup at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu
Bersurat.

Five players got into double figures for the GILR Wildcats with Jerold Pascua notching a game-high of 18 points while Anthony Bonavente contributed 17 points including five three-pointers.

Rem Espinas poured in 14 points while Rey Katipunan and Ness Espique chipped in 12 and 10 points respectively for the Wildcats in the
victory.

On the other hand, Vincent Superio led BMW with 14 points and Jhon Cayetano scored 12 points to a losing cause.

The GILR Wildcats got off on the wrong footing and were careless with the ball resulting in turnovers allowing BMW to open up an 11-6 lead midway through the opening period.

However, they picked up after that for a 7-0 run to grab the lead at 13-11 with three minutes to go for the stanza.

Both were equally matched at both ends of the floor as they stayed deadlocked at 21 apiece heading into the second quarter.

BMW couldn't get off on offence in the second period as their opponents
tighten their defence to pick up steals to go on the break. BMW also failed to box out, allowing their opponents to dominate the boards for
second chance opportunities.

The momentum was clearly with the GILR Wildcats as they extended their advantage to 41-34 at halftime.

The GILR Wildcats continued to pound their way in the paint for points and were executing their offence fluently in transition.

They extended their lead to double digits courtesy of a three-point play by Pascua bringing the scores to 54-42 with three minutes to play in the
period.

The GILR Wildcats were hustling for the loose balls but it still remained closed as they carried a 57-47 cushion into the final quarter.

Things never went right for BMW as they missed a couple of easy baskets from the paint in the fourth period. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Belait District men cagers win gold medal

James Kon

Captain Ho Hee Lee scored a game high of 21 points and his team mate Lim Liang Wei hit another 19 points to help Belait District grabbed the gold medal in the men's basketball event of the 9th National Sports Festival following a blowout win of 100-65 against BSP in the final yesterday.

After the match, Benjamin Sim said: "Our team started off slow in the early quarter and the match was very tight. Then we started to warm up in the second quarter and the game got rolling for us."

Captain Ho highlighted: "It's all about team work and our coach Wong's guidance has helped us to take gold this year."

Both teams were tied in the first quarter of 18 points each when BSP No 9 Mark hit a three pointer from the middle of the court to help level the score.

However, BSP cannot contained the more experienced Belait team who were on fire in the second quarter. A succession of three pointers from Ho Hee Lee, Lim Chun Sian and Benjamin Sim killed off the match for BSP.

By the end of the second quarter, Belait District were already in the driving seat with the score at 52-35.

Belait continued their dominance after the interval and never looked back. After the 10 minutes quarter, Belait were already 23 points ahead with a 76-53 lead.

In the final quarter, Belait District started to rotate all its bench players to finish off the game.

The bronze medal went to Brunei Muara District.

In the ladies category, Brunei Muara took the gold medal while Belait District took the silver and Tutong district grabbed the bronze medal

The guest-of-honour, Song Kin Koi, Managing Director of TelBru, presented the medals to the winners.

Source: Borneo Bulletin

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Belait put out BSP fire, win gold

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, July 1, 2010

BELAIT easily bagged the gold medal for the men's basketball event in
the 9th National Sports Festival (PSK) with a 100-65 drubbing of Brunei
Shell Petroleum (BSP) last night at the Brunei Basketball Association
court in Batu Bersurat.

Four players picked up double figures for Belait, with Presley Ho providing the game-high of 23 points for Belait while Lim Liang Wei contributed 22 points. Jong Guo Zheng and Ben Sim chipped in 11 and 10 points respectively in the lopsided victory.

Enrico Quk Ho topscored for BSP with 22 points and Mark See poured in 19 points in the losing effort.

Belait started off with a big lineup - with no guards on the floor - resulting in BSP settling for jumpshots as they were unable to penetrate to the basket.

Utilising their height and size advantage, Belait eased their way into the paint to score.

However, they soon swapped to a smaller lineup making five substitutes each time which allowed BSP to get their offence going.

The first period ended with See drilling in a long range three to tie the game at 18 points apiece.

BSP were executing on offence by making the extra pass and finding the open man despite missing the presence of Esmond Tan, who is currently away, in the lineup.

The scores remained deadlocked at 26-26 with seven minutes to play in the half before Belait shifted gears to increase their defensive pressure to go on a 26-9 run, en-route to establishing a comfortable 52-35 advantage at halftime.

It was the same affair in the third quarter and BSP were finding difficulty in getting anything going at the offensive end. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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