Brunei Veteran Cagers For Asean Challenge

The Brunei veteran basketball team for the Asean Veteran Basketball Tournament

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Brunei veteran basketball team will be flying off to Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia to take part in the 19th Asean Veteran Basketball Tournament from Sept 5-10.

The team who will be playing in the 50-year-old category comprised Goh Kok Ann, Thomas Wong Pak Lay Born, Ong Tze Keu, Tiah Eng Jee, Ang Eng Kee, Tan San Chok, Wong Peng Yen, Kong Ka Ing, Khoo Eng Chong, Lim Kah Hoe, Ken Kho and Robert Cheng On Fah.

Brunei are placed in Group C with Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Jakarta while in Group A are Philippines (FCUBA), Indonesia Pontianak and Negeri Sembilan. In Group B are Philippines (PCFBL), Sarawak, Haiyat, Thailand and Kingsar of Miri.

"This year the Brunei team will be trying to gain experience in the competition since our team have just started training," Ang Eng Kee said.

"In the last tournament held in the Philippines, Brunei was defeated by the host," Ang added.

He also revealed that Brunei would host the Asean Veteran Basketball Tournament in 2012. --

Source: Borneo Bulletin

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Barracudas have hill to climb

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

It's the 11th hour and Brunei basketball fans want to know what is going on with the Barracudas. What are their plans for this year's ABL campaign? Hopefully, they will come to light before the weekends.

Firstly, I want to thank those basketball fans in Brunei who think I would be a great fit for the vacant Barracudas coaching position. But, I don't think that is going to happen the time is just not right for me.

Some may ask: "Why wouldn't you want to be a part of the ABL and coach the Barracudas?"

To answer that question, I would ask myself: "Do I really want to hop back into the pro game and put myself through the things that go with it?"

The answer is no.

First of all I'm the national basketball coach of Brunei that is and has always been my priority. That is also why I'm here.

My job is not easy and, as a coach, I work very hard in trying to meet our goals. So I can't afford to lose focus.

My job as a coach is to develop the national team, not a professional basketball club.

FACTORS TAKEN IN MAKING THE DECISION

THE Barracudas and their management are very young and are still learning to properly run a professional basketball club (and by saying this I don't mean to disrespect anybody in the organisation). Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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No second season in Brunei for Bong Ramos

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Fans of the Brunei Barracudas who are waiting to hear who will be the 'chosen one' at the helm this season can cross out Bong Ramos's (pic) name for the Filipino coach will definitely not be making a second appearance to coach the team next season.

Appointed as head coach for Brunei's first professional basketball team last season, Ramos led the side to a 6-9 record in the inaugural season of the Asean Basketball League (ABL) which saw the Bruneians fall short of making the playoffs in the six-team competition.

"My experience with the Barracudas is one of the hardest ever in my career. But because of (team owner) Nadzaty (Azma Azeez) giving her 200 per cent support together with the management, I was able to overcome the odds and limitations in Brunei," said Ramos, in an interview with The Brunei Times, yesterday.

"I think we actually overachieved last season winning six games, beating the (KL) Dragons and (Thailand) Tigers twice as well as taming (ABL champions) the (Philippine) Patriots and Satria Muda BritAma of Indonesia. I'm proud to have been able to coach in Brunei," added the 49-year-old coach.

"When you play in professional league you are ready to play, but in Brunei the local players were not that ready when I arrived. So off season should be the training period," said Ramos.

"But it is very expensive to do that ... unless, of course, there are other people who want to sponsor the off season training," added the ex-Indonesia national coach during the interview.

The Filipino urged fans to be thankful to the management for putting the team together. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Brunei Veteran Cagers For Asean Challenge

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Brunei veteran basketball team will be flying off to Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia to take part in the 19th Asean Veteran Basketball Tournament from Sept 5-10.

The team who will be playing in the 50-year-old category comprised Goh Kok Ann, Thomas Wong Pak Lay Born, Ong Tze Keu, Tiah Eng Jee, Ang Eng Kee, Tan San Chok, Wong Peng Yen, Kong Ka Ing, Khoo Eng Chong, Lim Kah Hoe, Ken Kho and Robert Cheng On Fah.

Brunei are placed in Group C with Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Jakarta while in Group A are Philippines (FCUBA), Indonesia Pontianak and Negeri Sembilan. In Group B are Philippines (PCFBL), Sarawak, Haiyat, Thailand and Kingsar of Miri.

"This year the Brunei team will be trying to gain experience in the competition since our team have just started training," Ang Eng Kee said.

"In the last tournament held in the Philippines, Brunei was defeated by the host," Ang added.

He also revealed that Brunei would host the Asean Veteran Basketball Tournament in 2012.

Source: Borneo Bulletin

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To be prepared is half the victory

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, August 29, 2010

GOOD coaches know what makes a good basketball team getting the players to gel as a unit.
Last season, the Barracudas hired Coach Bong Ramos from the Philippines to guide the team and he led them to a 6-9 record but they fell short of reaching the playoffs in the inaugural season.

Ramos joined the team a month before the start of the 2009/10 season but only managed to complete his roster one week before their first game.

It was impossible for him to perform a miracle in this case getting his players to understand each other's style of play in just SEVEN days.

Besides this, the team also played with only a six- to seven- man rotation throughout the season as the local players were not up to the task yet. With all the weight on the shoulders of the imports, they eventually ran out of gas.

And now the new Asean Basketball League season is back. The Barracudas have just more than a month to get their team together before their campaign starts in October.

Will they learn from history or let it repeat itself?

Bruneians are great fans of world sports. So let us look at the NBA and World Cup as references.

When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Hall-of-Fame Wilt Chamberlain, who was the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player at that time, in 1968, everyone thought it was a sure win formula especially since the squad also featured fellow Hall-of-Fames forward Elgin Baylor and guard Jerry West.

Despite the all-star cast, it took them four years to really gel and only in 1972 did that Lakers squad lift their first championship trophy by beating the New York Knicks in five.

And then there was this year's World Cup. Argentina were one of the favourites to lift the trophy with Lionel Messi, the Fifa Footballer of the Year, on the squad.

But with his players coming from various clubs, then Argentina coach Diego Maradona had little time to gel his players and make them play as a unit.

The result: despite having very talented inviduals on his roster El Diego's men were humiliated 4-0 by Germany in the quarterfinals.

These examples show us that just as Rome was not built in a day, a good team also could not be built in a week.

To be realistic, what are the chances for the Brunei representatives to win their first title in the sophomore season in the ABL?

The other teams such as Satria Muda BritAma (Indonesia), Singapore Slingers and KL Dragons (Malaysia) almost have a year round schedule to get their gelling done.

The Southeast Asian powerhouses, the Philippines, are definitely the favourites once again. Basketball is the biggest sport in the country and even if they were to pull out a whole new roster to form the Patriots, they wouldn't have any problems. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Running the fast break with Aying

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Offence sells tickets well that much is true when Marjomar Aying (pics) takes to the court. The 5ft 11 Filipino delights the crowd in every game with his agile manoeuvres and his sharp shooting skills. A definite fan-favourite takes some time out to speak to YEE CHUN LEONG

Q: Tell me something about yourself before we get started.

A: I'm 23 years old and hail from Cebu in the Philippines. I played for the Cebu Institute of Technology during my varsity years from 2004-2007 before I moved on to study in BSc in Business Administration in Manila's Olivarez College from 2007-2009. After that I came here for the 2009 Brunei Pepsi Cup last year. (He, however, had to drop out of his studies due to some complications, and has thus remained in Brunei after said competition).

Q: So what are your plans now?

A: I want to continue my studies but the university I was in would no longer accept me back. The competition is tough as you would be replaced once you leave. It is difficult to transfer to another university as well especially after accumulating all my credentials from past years.

Q: Any chance of continuing in a local university here instead?

A: If I ever get the chance.

Q: When did you start playing basketball?

A: I only started at the age of 14. I never had the time when I was younger as I would help my father (who works as a contractor) out at work and he also didn't allow me to play. It was only when he left to work in Vietnam that I started to play. My cousins were my inspiration as I was the only one who was bad at basketball. They called me useless in the game so I trained by myself from 2am-5am by jogging and picking up some skills. I did it at such a time because I didn't want them to see what I was doing and wanted to surprise them after three months of putting in the work.

Q: How do you feel about finishing second in the 2010 Sultan's Cup? (Aying's team Palm Cafe had to settle for runners-up spot after losing 90-95 to Sharks in the Aug 21 final) Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Reece for Barracudas?

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, August 27, 2010

The new ABL season starts in October and Brunei Barracudas are busy looking for their new coach and players. YEE CHUN LEONG thinks Kevin Reece, the national basketball coach, is one of the candidates to lead the Barracudas

WITH just over a month to go before the start of the Asean Basketball League's (ABL) second season, Brunei's representatives the Barracudas are in the process of selecting players as well as the head coach, who will lead the charge for the Sultanate's first professional basketball team.

But the big question remains who are the best and most deserving people to don the blue jerseys this upcoming season?

The Barracudas brought in Coach Bong Ramos from the Philippines to mentor the young team last season.

He guided the team to a 6-9 record which saw them fall short of reaching the playoffs in the inaugural season.

However, Ramos only had weeks to prepare his squad for the tournament.

In addition to this, the coach could only play the team's imports during the games as the local players were still not up to par, compared to their opponents, a fact which received much criticism last year.

With this in mind, fans knew that the team would eventually run out of gas, having to rely on only six or seven players on rotation throughout the entire season.

Barracudas owner Nadzaty Azma Azeez, on Tuesday told The Brunei Times, that they were keeping all options open and that everyone was taken into consideration for the sophomore season.

Would Kevin Reece, the national basketball coach, fit into the picture? Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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One on one with Requintin

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

A: I'm 30 years old this year and hail from Dagupan City in the Pangasinan Province in the Philippines. I first came to Brunei in 2006 and I'm employed as a machinist. I played for Lyceum-Northwestern University from 1996-2000 while studying Electronics and Communication Engineering.

Q: When exactly did you start playing?

A: I started by myself when I was 10 years old in 1990 because I enjoyed watching the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association). My first sport was actually volleyball but I dropped it because it was boring compared to basketball which was more popular in the Philippines. My coach (Juan Castro) also advised me that I got the ability to become a good player in the sport as well.

Q: How was training initially?

A: It was very hard. I couldn't even handle the ball and all we did were drills. It's only after three months that we perfect the basics that we get to touch the ball.

Q: What is your most memorable achievement in basketball in Brunei?

A: I would have to say it was being able to represent Brunei in the China-ASEAN CBO Male Basketball Invitational Games in 2008 where we finished fifth.

Q: How was it like playing there?

A: It was difficult to adjust to that place because the weather was cold.

Q: How can you compare playing there to Brunei?

A: It's more relaxing here because I get to play with my compatriots even during competition. There were a lot of tall players there and the competition was really tough.

Q: What do you think about winning the 2010 Sultan's Cup? (Requintin played together with Geve Leones for Sharks to defeat tournament favourites, Palm Café, 95-90 in the final on August 21)

A: When the tournament started, people were telling us that we were the underdogs. I told my teammates and management about it and we studied our game properly. We worked hard on our defence and communication during practice that really helped us win the competition.

Q: Would you say that it was one of the best wins? (Because Linktech were runners-up to Babes Boutique in both the 2010 Brunei Pepsi Cup and LBC Cup last year)

A: I would say that it was the best because we lost to the same players on two occasions. We planned beforehand and it's great to beat the tournament favourites.

Q: Your teammate, Geve Leones, says that you are his favourite player. What do you think? Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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One on one with Requintin

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

A: I'm 30 years old this year and hail from Dagupan City in the Pangasinan Province in the Philippines. I first came to Brunei in 2006 and I'm employed as a machinist. I played for Lyceum-Northwestern University from 1996-2000 while studying Electronics and Communication Engineering.

Q: When exactly did you start playing?

A: I started by myself when I was 10 years old in 1990 because I enjoyed watching the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association). My first sport was actually volleyball but I dropped it because it was boring compared to basketball which was more popular in the Philippines. My coach (Juan Castro) also advised me that I got the ability to become a good player in the sport as well.

Q: How was training initially?

A: It was very hard. I couldn't even handle the ball and all we did were drills. It's only after three months that we perfect the basics that we get to touch the ball.

Q: What is your most memorable achievement in basketball in Brunei?

A: I would have to say it was being able to represent Brunei in the China-ASEAN CBO Male Basketball Invitational Games in 2008 where we finished fifth.

Q: How was it like playing there? Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Tourism Board to leverage on ABL

Debbie Too

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

With the second season of the Asean Basketball League (ABL) set to begin in October, the Brunei Tourism Board said that it will take the opportunity to step up promotional efforts and engage itself in "a more leading role" in terms of branding.

"This event is definitely in line with our sports tourism efforts," said Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohammad, director of the Brunei Tourism Board. This time around, Sheikh Jamaluddin said that he hopes to "take on a more leading role" in terms of branding.

"This is an international event, so we want to take the branding more seriously, by putting the logo of Brunei around the court," he said. Last year the event was publicised through ESPN on Astro, and garnered a lot of media attention in the region.

Sheikh Jamaluddin said very few international sporting events take place in Brunei. Apart from international golf tournaments, this is one of the events that has international and regional appeal, he said.

Inquired about local participation from sporting fans, Sheikh Jamaluddin said he will work closely with Brunei Barracudas' owner Nadzaty Azma Azeez on how best to market the highly-anticipated event.

"We will be meeting some time next week, and this is what we will discuss the actual marketing of the event.".

Based on last year's turnout from local fans, he feels that the event will gain more momentum this year and may even reach higher levels of participation than the previous year's. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Brunei to fish for new barracudas

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Preparations for the Brunei Baraccudas for the upcoming second season of the Asean Basketball League (ABL) is well underway, Barracudas owner Nadzaty Azma Azeez tells The Brunei Times.

"We are already in the middle of preparations in terms of administration and scouting of players for the upcoming season," she said during an interview yesterday.

The ABL announced on Monday in Jakarta that they will launch its sophomore season in October and a total of six teams will feature in the new campaign.

The teams are champions Philippine Patriots, finalists Satria Muda BritAma (Indonesia), KL Dragons (Malaysia), Singapore Slingers and the new look Thailand Cobras.

The Cobras will be replacing the Tigers, a team marred by controversy after it was revealed that their players have not been paid since March.

The same import rules apply this season as of last season whereby each team is allowed to have two foreign imports, three ASEAN imports and seven local players.

However, Nadzaty revealed that two of their former players have confirmed that they will not be lacing up for Brunei's first professional team for the new season.

American Reggie Larry, the team's topscorer with an average of 19.4 points per game and leader in assists with 3.1 per game, will not return as he was recently offered to play for Barcelona FC in Spain. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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More hoops to come in September

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

More basketball action is headed your way with the 2010 Brunei Open Boustead Cup Basketball Championship for Men next month.

Organised by the New Village Mutual Aid Association Seria (NVMAS) in cooperation with the Belait District Basketball Association (BDBA), the tournament will be held at the Kampung Baru basketball court in Seria and is slated to start on September 16.

The competition is open to players with a valid Brunei identity card. It is aimed at promoting a healthy sporting lifestyle and also to develop the interest of basketball among the community.

Entry forms can be obtained from Lot 3515, no 9, Spg 94-23, Kg Perpindahan, Kg Baru, Seria.

Completed forms together with registration fee of $300 must be handed in not later than the closing date on September 8 at noon.

Interested parties can contact Liew Tze Sing at 8726383, Mr Liew at 8744168 or Yong at 8750178.

The last open tournament held in the district was the 2010 Yong Sok Cup which Plaza Sutera Biru conquered in May.

Source: The Brunei Times

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Barracudas, ABL are back

Jason Thomas

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

After months of inactivity and allegations of unpaid salaries, the Asean Basketball League (ABL) yesterday announced it will launch its second season in October.

The new campaign will once again feature six teams, with a new look Thailand team in the form of the Thailand Cobras replacing last season's Thailand Tigers a side that have been mired in controversy after it was revealed that their players have not been paid since March.

The Brunei Barracudas will be back flying the flag for the Sultanate, and though team owner Nadzaty Azma Azeez and manager Benny Ang were not available for comment, the former was at yesterday's Press conference in Jakarta held to announce the official launch of the second season.

The four other teams in the league are champions Philippine Patriots, finalists Satria Muda Britama (Indonesia) and losing semi-finalists KL Dragons (Malaysia) and Singapore Slingers.

The Cobras and the Dragons kick off the 2010-11 season with a game on Oct 2 in Bangkok, with the playoff finals scheduled to begin in February 2011 and culminate in the finals at the end of February 2011.

The format will be maintained from last season which will be in the form of triple home and away for the league stages with a best of three series for the playoffs including the finals.

The Patriots swept Satria Muda in the best-of-five final to win the title last season.

According to The Jakarta Globe, ABL founder Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said there had been plans to add three more teams to the league for the 2010-11 season one each from Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

However, officials were unable to reach an agreement in time for the season opener. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Barracudas, ABL are back

Jason Thomas

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

After months of inactivity and allegations of unpaid salaries, the Asean Basketball League (ABL) yesterday announced it will launch its second season in October.

The new campaign will once again feature six teams, with a new look Thailand team in the form of the Thailand Cobras replacing last season's Thailand Tigers a side that have been mired in controversy after it was revealed that their players have not been paid since March.

The Brunei Barracudas will be back flying the flag for the Sultanate, and though team owner Nadzaty Azma Azeez and manager Benny Ang were not available for comment, the former was at yesterday's Press conference in Jakarta held to announce the official launch of the second season.

The four other teams in the league are champions Philippine Patriots, finalists Satria Muda Britama (Indonesia) and losing semi-finalists KL Dragons (Malaysia) and Singapore Slingers.

The Cobras and the Dragons kick off the 2010-11 season with a game on Oct 2 in Bangkok, with the playoff finals scheduled to begin in February 2011 and culminate in the finals at the end of February 2011.

The format will be maintained from last season which will be in the form of triple home and away for the league stages with a best of three series for the playoffs including the finals.

The Patriots swept Satria Muda in the best-of-five final to win the title last season.

According to The Jakarta Globe, ABL founder Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said there had been plans to add three more teams to the league for the 2010-11 season one each from Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

However, officials were unable to reach an agreement in time for the season opener. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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All 6 Clubs Returning For Asean Basketball League’s Sophomore Season

Wimbo Satwiko | August 23, 2010

Encouraged by the reception it received during its inaugural season, the Asean Basketball League will open its new campaign with its lineup of teams intact.

Five of the six teams from last season — Indonesia’s Satria Muda Britama, Malaysia’s KL Dragons, the Brunei Barracudas, the Philippine Patriots and the Singapore Slingers — have kept their names.

The club from Thailand, known last season as the Tigers, has changed its name to the Cobras.

The Cobras and the Dragons kick off the 2010-11 season with a game on Oct. 2 in Bangkok.

ABL founder Tony Fernandes said there had been a plan to add three more teams for the 2010-11 season — one each from Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

However, Fernandes said officials were unable to finalize the proposal in time for the season opener in Bangkok.

“We decided to keep the same number of teams,” Fernandes said on Monday. “A number of parties showed interest in joining the league this season, but their entries came very late. It’s our aim to add more teams, and we’ll do that next season.”

Fernandes said the FIBA, basketball’s world governing body, had officially recognized the ABL, and this season’s league champion would represent Southeast Asia in next year’s FIBA Asia Champions Cup.

As the reigning ABL champions, the Patriots were supposed to play in the Champions Cup, but Philippine basketball officials fielded a squad of national junior players for the tournament, which was held in May in Doha, Qatar. Read More…

Source: Jakarta Globe

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Sharks hail Leones king

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, August 22, 2010

GEVE LEONES put up an MVP performance to steer Sharks to a 95-90 victory over tournament favourites, Palm Cafe, in the final of the 2010 Sultan's Cup at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat last night.

"I was just trying my best to get my team the win. Ipicked up a slight injury to my right leg in the third (quarter) which limited me. But I just kept trying and it was good to get things going late on in the fourth period," said Leones, in an interview with The Brunei Times, after the triumph.

The 6ft 1in Filipino poured in a game-high of 36 points to pace the Sharks and Elvin Requintin contributed 24 points while Aries Castro chipped in 15 points in the win.
On the other hand, Marjomar Aying topscored for Palm Cafe with 29 points while Don Mordeno and Vincent Superio poured in 17 and 16
points respectively in a losing effort.

Sharks came out firing on all cylinders running the floor well on defence and were getting it done inside the paint on offence.

Meanwhile, nothing was going right for Palm Cafe as they failed to set on offence. This saw them trail 11-2 midway through the opening period.

Sharks were also knocking down shots from the outside and eventually opened up a lead as large as 11 points.

Aying then got his act together to score for Palm Cafe that saw them face a 25-19 deficit heading into the second quarter.

Palm Cafe were not getting back on defence fast enough as Sharks were throwing long outlet passes to score on fastbreaks.

Sharks continued to penetrate to the hoop and were drawing fouls off the Palm Cafe bigs that saw both Reggie Malinao and Fred Palaspas each with four fouls before the end of the second period.

They were also exploiting the mismatch in Palm Cafe's man-to-man defence. This helped them extend their lead to 51-41 at halftime.

However, the 6ft 4in Mark del Mundo arrived after the interval to provide height for Palm Cafe.

Del Mundo helped them pick up the rebounds and cut Sharks' lead to a single basket.

Sharks were in trouble when Requintin picked up his fourth foul in the period and this allowed Palm Cafe to tie the scores at 70-70 going into the final stanza.

Palm Cafe continued on their comeback and Mordeno finally gave them the first lead with eight minutes left on a trey.

Both teams fought neck and neck in a see-saw battle. But Leones would catch fire late on for 11 in the period that helped his team stick ahead.

The match did see a controversy with Aying slipping and meeting the deck on same spot on two possessions due to rain water while driving to the hoop in the final minute.

But, Apollo Bibat would ice the game with two free throws making it a two-possession game at 94-90 with 16 seconds left.

"I take my hat off to all of my players as they did what they needed to
tonight (Saturday night) which was to play good defence," said Lee Sai
Yuk, the playing coach of Sharks.

"Our guard (Alcris) Tiro played good defence on Mordeno. But the key to the win was that the trio of Bibat, Leones and Requintin all stepped up tonight (Saturday night)," said Lee.

Asked on what's next, Lee replied: "We'll just continue to train as a team as we want to be prepared for any upcoming tournaments."

MK Kids Salon bagged the bronze after they defeated Soon Lee-Easyway 100-96 in overtime in the third-place playoff.

Meanwhile, Ranoadidas Rockettes were earlier crowned champions of the women's category topping the table after a round-robin tournament earlier this month.

Source: The Brunei Times

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Still being outmuscled by Filipinos

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, August 22, 2010

ANOTHER match, another loss for the national basketball team.

The Brunei national team have fallen to 0-6 against quality Filipino teams in local competitions under Kevin Reece, the national basketball coach, since his arrival in late December.

They were so close to breaking that egg last night, having led the whole match just to choke late on for a 100-96 loss to MK Kids Salon in overtime in the third-place playoff of the 2010 Sultan's Cup.

Playing under the banner of Soon Lee-Easyway, once again, their weakness showed as they only hit 16 of their 37 attempts from the freethrow line that saw them throw away the match.

"I'm not bitter about the losses but I'm disappointed that we didn't get into the final this time (the 2010 Sultan's Cup). We should be better than this," said Reece, in an interview with The Brunei Times, yesterday.

"We've been getting outmuscled by the Filipinos as they are stronger and more physical. We'll have to continue to work out at the gym. Hopefully it would be an eye opener for the team," he added.

"Nonetheless, we're improving as a team but we still got a lot of work to do. As I've said before, development is a marathon and not a sprint. We just have to give it more time," continued the Los Angeles-native.

The American once again questioned the mentality of the local players as the Filipinos tend to strike fear in them having ruled the basketball scene in the country for years.

"For instance, if the name (Geve) Leones is mentioned, local players tend to fear him. We will need to overcome that to beat them. That's our goal," said Reece.

"In addition, the Filipinos are hungry for a win in every game that they play and they would fight for it without giving up. Instead, the local players would just cave in after going so far. We just don't want it bad enough," he added. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Sharks set up final grudge match against Palm Cafe

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, August 21, 2010

SHARKS put up a dominating performance to defeat Soon Lee-Easyway
86-61 in the semi-finals of the 2010 Sultan's Cup last night to set up a final date against Palm Cafe at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Geve Leones did everything for the Sharks to end up with a game-high 32 points in only three quarters.

Three other players hit double figures for the Sharks with Apollo Bibat
pouring in 12 while Aries Castro and Jolito Entapan each chipped in 10
points in the victory. Meanwhile, Lim Liang Wei topscored for Soon
Lee-Easyway with 21 while Ben Sim and Soon Kian Leong contributed 15 and 10 respectively to the losing cause.

The game was a close affair in the first stanza but Sharks turned their game up a notch in the second quarter to open up a 46-33 lead at halftime.

From there on, Sharks never looked back as they dominated the boards and sliced through the defence of Soon Lee-Easyway to score on layups.

They were also running well on both ends of the floor, tiring out their
opponents and extending their advantage to 71-46 heading into the fourth. 

Soon Lee-Easyway couldn't get anything going on offence. They were missing easy shots, including wide open layups which led to
their defeat by the same opponents for the second time in the competition.

Despite the convincing win, Lee Sai Yuk, the playing coach of Sharks, feels that they will be the underdogs heading into the final.

"It is going to be a difficult match because we are smaller in size. They have good guards in Aying and Mordeno as well while our point guard is a little less experienced," Lee told The Brunei Times.

Sharks, whose main players are from the Linktech side that lost to Babes Boutique in the final of the 2009 Brunei Pepsi Cup last year, will see their final matchup as a revenge match.

When asked on what the main factors of the game would be, Lee replied: "Good defence is what is needed. We'll have to shut their guards down and get some good offence."

The second semi-final saw a close contest between MK Kids Salon and Palm Cafe before the latter shifted gears in the fourth quarter to run away with a 98-76 win.  
The Palm Cafe backcourt trio combined for a total of 70 of the team's points. Don Mordeno was the top notcher with 29 points including five treys while Vincent Superio poured in 21 and Marjomar Aying scored 20 with five treys to his name.
Wawie Ybanez topscored for MK Kids Salon with 15 points while Bernie Toledo added 14 and Erwin Velez chipped in 10.

Mordeno started the game on fire with four straight baskets in the opening period to give his team a 25-12 advantage, heading into the second quarter.

MK Kids Salon, however, dominated the boards and managed to keep the game close. They exploited their size advantage to eventually close the gap to 38-45 at halftime. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Brunei - Mens Basketball - asia-basket.com

Brunei National Team 2010

Benjamin Sim

186-G/F-85

Barracudas

Lim Liang Wei

180-F-90

Choo Yung Jian

175-G-88

Faizuladzmi Tajuddin

191-C-82

Barracudas

Kian Leong Soon

188-F/C-91

Barracudas

Aik Hock Lim

173-G-83

Barracudas

Md Badri Suhaili

180-G/F-89

Barracudas

Yap Chun Ping

173-G-85

Muhd Zainul Ashyraf

196-C-87

Po Yung Hui

173-G-85

Tan Ye Wei

186-F-82

Muiz Abdul Ghani

183-G/F-86

Barracudas

Kevin Reece

Head Coach

Maxin Yap

Assistant

Wira Pori

Team Manager

  Source: asia-basket.com

Read more...

Semis date for MK Kids Salon and Palm Cafe

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, August 20, 2010

MK KIDS SALON secured their semi-finals berth of the 2010 Sultan's
Cup via a convincing 105-74 win over Y@ppe IT Store yesterday night at
the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Four players got into double figures for MK Kids Salon with Wawie Ybanez notching a game-high 23 points while Erwin Velez poured in 20. Jeff Paraiso added 15 while Roldan Binas chipped in 14 in the victory.

Presley Ho topscored for Y@ppe IT Store with 22 points while Jong Guo Zhang and Kevin Tay contributed 12 and 10 points respectively in the losing effort.

MK Kids Salon got off to a strong start with good pressure defence to force turnovers off their opponents' ball handlers.

Ho would score all but two of Y@ppe IT Store's 14 points as they trailed to MK Kids Salon's 28 by the end of the first quarter.

Y@ppe IT Store looked like a completely different team without key player Esmond Tan, who is away due to work commitments.

They were also missing their usual playmaker, Lim Aik Hock, who is currenlty playing for the Soon Lee-Easyway squad.

They had difficulty bringing the ball up the floor as MK Kids Salon applied a full court pressure defence that helped them extend their lead to 58-34
at halftime.

MK Kids Salon continued on their fine form by getting hitting shots from both the inside and the out to extend their lead to 30 points midway through the stanza. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Fatigued Easyway hold off Estetika

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Soon Lee-Easyway scraped through with a 80-68 victory over Estetika
in Group B of the second round of the 2010 Sultan's Cup last night to
keep their hopes alive for a semi-finals berth at the Brunei Basketball
Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Four players got into double figures for Soon Lee-Easyway with Po Yung Hui notching a game-high of 23 points. Yap Chun Ping and Tan Ye Wei each poured in 13 points while Lim Aik Hock added 12 in the victory.

Sherwin Antonio led the way for Estetika with 20 points.

Both teams got off to a sloppy start with Soon Lee-Easyway looking the more tired team after their sixth straight game in as many days. Estetika
were trying to get the ball into the paint but faced a 12-19 deficit heading into the second quarter.

Estetika tried to apply a 3-2 defensive strategy as their opponents were going for outside shots but Soon Lee-Easyway responded by penetrating to the hoop to rack up the points. They were, however, not helped by their turnovers which allowed Estetika to keep the game close with fastbreak points at 30-40 at halftime.

Going back to the basics on their full court pressure defence, Soon Lee-Easyway began to torment their opponents and converted steals into fast break points to open up a 54-34 advantage halfway through the stanza.

Estetika managed to regroup towards the end of the period but by then Soon Lee-Easyway were firmly in the driving seat with a 62-44 lead going into the final quarter.

Soon Lee-Easyway unloaded their bench to give their starters a breather but Estetika would turn to Antonio in hope of a comeback. The plan worked to perfection as the center used his huge frame to score under the basket.


They gained momentum with the backing of the crowd to pull within 60-68 with five minutes to play. Despite the charge, Estetika would soon run out of steam to give the national cagers a crucial win.

The match would never had been close if Soon Lee-Easyway had made their free throws. The statistics read that the national squad only made 11 of their 34 attempts from the charity stripe and national basketball coach Kevin Reece needs his team to take advantage from the stripe.

"It has always been our weakness. The players have to stay focus from the beginning till the end. It can be physical or mental fatigue at this
point but they should have made them. After the tournament, we'll have
to rest and work on that," Reece told The Brunei Times after the
victory. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Reece: Basketball schedule too taxing

Jason Thomas
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

If there is one thing basketball fans know about Kevin Reece it's that he speaks his mind.

And with the national basketball team taking to the court five times in as
many nights, the national handler has every right to be unhappy with how
things are going.

"We'll be playing five games in five nights. Even in the NBA (National Basketball Association) they don't do that," he quipped after Monday night's 88-63 Sultan's Cup 2010 win over Propel Services.

"The schedulers need to do something about it. Nobody is saying anything so I will!" added the American.

At the helm of the national set-up since last December, the past week has been the most taxing for the 50-year-old and his players.

It all started on Friday with the 12th Borneo City Men Basketball Invitation Tournament 2010, a three-day competition at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) court in Batu Bersurat which they finished third in a field of four teams.

The event saw hosts Brunei face off against Miri, Kota Kinabalu (KK) and Labuan, and though the tournament's relevance is unquestionable, its timing in the midst of the Sultan's Cup was shady. One of the biggest dates on BBA's calender, the 14-team Sultan's Cup started on July 31 and is set to end on Saturday.

Reece's men beat KK 59-55 in their first match of the Borneo City Men
Basketball Invitation Tournament before falling 56-51 to Labuan on
Saturday and 67-36 on Sunday.

They hardly had any time to dwell on the results and were lacing up 24 hours later. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

'Superio' Palm Cafe make 'Easy' work of Soon Lee

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Palm Cafe turned up their game in the second half to thrash Soon Lee-Easyway 101-76 in Group B of the second round of the 2010 Sultan's
Cup last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

The teams were equally matched with Palm Cafe leading 43-41 at halftime but they would turn up the pace after the interval, driving into the lane while making the extra pass to score inside the paint.

Vincent Superio of Palm Cafe, who had a game-high of 27 points, caught fire midway through the stanza to fire on all cylinders. They extended their lead to as many as 19 points before Soon Lee-Easyway went on a late push to cut the deficit to 59-71 going into the final quarter.

Superio continued to fire at will, knocking down jumpers against the national cagers for 16 second half points. Soon Lee-Easyway were clearly out of gas and couldn't keep up on defence as Palm Cafe were cruising at 91-62 midway through the period to notch their fifth straight win of the competition.

"It was just a lucky night for me. I gained a lot of confidence and just continued to shoot," said Superio, in an interview with The Brunei Times, after the win.

"The team also played well with good communication and the passing was good. I'm just glad to step up to help the team win the match," added the 31-year-old Filipino.

Marjomar Aying added 24 points and Don Mordeno chipped in 15 in the victory.

On the other hand, four players hit double figures for Soon Lee-Easyway
with Lim Liang Wei topscoring with 16 points. Soon Kian Leong, Po Yung Hui and Yap Chun Ping chipped in 12, 11 and 10 points respectively.

Soon Lee-Easyway started as usual, deploying their man-to-man defence while Palm Cafe opted for the 3-2 defensive strategy. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Are you a basketball pundit?

Kevin Reece

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Damned if you do, damned if don't that's the dilemma faced by any
professional basketball coach. Let's face it, winning is everything and it is the only thing that will keep sponsors happy.

So my question to you is: do you play your best players or let the political rim of sports play a part in deciding who plays and who doesn't.

Personally I think and will stand firm on this you should field the player that is going to give you the best chance of winning the game, and once the game is secure then you play your bench.

So where does a coach draw the line, when even without a shadow of a doubt the game is unreachable for another team to come back?

Basketball is probably the hardest game to sub players in and out of play because of the chemistry involved. You must have court balance and that's the most important factor in deciding who to sub in and out of the game.

Court balance is five players who work together well, who know his or her
limitations. Meaning the roles involved, one player might be in because
of defence, another because of his offensive ability, another because of
leadership, another for his aggressiveness and the other because of his
rebounding etc.

So you have five players on the floor as a unit and that's when the machine is working and well-oiled. Now you're saying, what about the bench and the subs, the same applies there as well.

PAYING YOUR DUES

When I was growing up and playing basketball, you had to pay your dues.

Every person on the team thought they should play more or should get in the  game. But it doesn't work that way; you must win your position by
playing and producing.  Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Easyway through after Propel Services win

Jason Thomas
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Worn-out but definitely not washed-out, a depleted Soon Lee-Easyway
beat Propel Services 88-63 to advance to the next round of the Sultan's
Cup 2010 last night.

Fatigued and probably still smarting from their dismal outing at last week's 12th Borneo City Men's Basketball Invitational Tournament 2010, the win helped the national cagers eased the pain of finishing third in the four-team competition.

Though Benjamin Sim and Lim Liang Wei did not play and Yap Chun Ping only saw five minutes of action, the team still managed to turn on the afterburners in the fourth quarter and take a 20-point lead which they
maintained until the final buzzer at the Brunei Basketball Association
court in Batu Bersurat.

Despite the win, Kevin Reece couldn't get last week's poor performance out of his head.

"This is a different competition, at a different level, and right now we are
more confident at this level and that shouldn't be," said the Soon
Lee-Easyway coach, who is also guiding the national team.

"If the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games were to start right now we wouldn't be ready.

"But we haven't lost three in a row this year so I knew we would win. I had enough confidence in the team," added the national coach.

Soon Kian Leong led Soon Lee-Easyway in scoring with 22 points, with Tan Ye Wei and Po Yung Hui adding 15 and 10.

Looking as tired as any team would be after playing four games in as many nights, Soon Lee-Easyway started the match without the intense
full-court pressure which characterises their game.

Their strength inside the paint earned them an 18-13 lead after the first
quarter, and with Pg Md Faizuladzmi Pg Tajuddin controlling the boards
in the second period he had a dozen rebounds at the end of the game
they entered the second half up 34-28.

They could have been leading by more if not for a late boost by Propel Services, who could always count on Kenny Lim and Elwin Chong to deliver on the offensive end.

Yap's introduction into the game in the third quarter injected some life into the team, and they led 56-46 at the end of the period before opening up a 20-point lead through Tan (74-53) mid-way through the last stanza.

It was their second win over Propel Services after beating them 99-81 in last month's 2010 Goh Hock Kee Trophy.

Last night's other game saw Breadstop Teamz beat Young Guns 82-51. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Miri thrash Brunei to take Borneo City gold

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, August 16, 2010

They had the chance to take gold but wasted it, and now the national basketball team had to settle for bronze.

Brunei were humbled 67-36 by Miri in a do-or-die match in the 12th Borneo City Men's Basketball Invitational Tournament 2010 last night that ended  their chances for the gold medal.

Contested at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat, the national cagers were outplayed on every single possession that saw them crumble to the largest losing margin in the three-day competition.

"It was disastrous! It was almost like we were scared of the name 'Miri'. Those were young players out there tonight (Sunday night) and we could have found ourselves motivation to win the gold and make history, but we
didn't," said Kevin Reece, the national basketball coach, in an interview after the loss.

"Personally all these games that we've played together so far this year are the same ... the level has pretty much been the same.

"I can't accept the loss because after six months together we should have had a better performance than the one we put up tonight (Sunday night)," added the American.

"Yes, we were hampered by injuries but the will to compete was just not there. Our defence for the tournament has been shameful," continued the 50-year-old coach.

Two players got into double figures for Miri last night with Liew Yik Lung pouring in a game-high of 21 points and Lai Teck Bou adding 14 points.

On the other hand, Yap Chun Ping topscored for Brunei with seven points.

Miri started out with the 2-3 zone defence while Brunei were going with the man-to-man defence. The hosts managed to open up a 7-4 lead midway through the stanza.

However, Miri were using their speed to score on the break with Liew being the go-to-man as he put his team up 14-11 heading into the second quarter.

Miri, who had the height and size advantage, were getting the ball inside to their Sarawak State players Voon Yiew Ting and Lai to score in the paint in the second stanza. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Brunei veterans down KK cagers, claim silver

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, August 16, 2010

The national veteran team ended their campaign on a high with a 92-62
demolition of an undermanned Kota Kinabalu side last night in the 11th
Borneo City Veteran Basketball Invitational Tournament 2010 at the
Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

The win handed Brunei the silver after Labuan defeated Miri 83-75 earlier in the day to claim the gold.

"We're not that satisfied with the silver because we were aiming for the gold. We were quite unlucky that we lost to Labuan last night (Saturday
night). We had a real good chance at it but we just got too nervous.
That allowed them to gain momentum in that match," said Rosli Said, the captain of Brunei, in an interview with The Brunei Times, after the
triumph.

"We just had too many mistakes. We'll have to make changes to compete next year. We need to improve further if not it would be another difficult campaign," he added.

Brunei suffered a 57-62 setback to Labuan on Saturday.

Five players got into double figures for the Sultanate yesterday with Lim
Eng Ann putting up a shooting clinic for a game-high of 29 points including nailing nine treys in the match.

Tony Tan added 14 points while Chen Fen Wei, Woo Min Kong and Ho Poh San each had 12 points in the victory.

On the other hand, Chong Nyuk Hiung was the go-to-man for KK as he nailed six triples enroute for a team-high of 26 points and Tan Kok Mon chipped in 14 points to a losing cause.

KK were always the underdogs having dropped their last two matches and only had two players on the bench. Brunei fielded their substitutes in the opening period and still managed to get ahead 15-7 midway through the quarter. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Labuan is Brunei's kryptonite

Jason Thomas

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, August 15, 2010

IT WAS heartbreak for the national basketball team when they lost to
Labuan 56-51 in last night's 12th Borneo City Men Basketball Invitation
Tournament 2010.

Though they were leading for most of the match at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat, inconsistent defence and turnovers in the last quarter spelt their demise.

The national cagers led by as much as 11 points at the end of the first half after a dominant second quarter which saw them outscore the visitors 15-4.

But they weren't able to build on the 29-18 advantage they took into the second half and entered the final stanza with a lead which had dwindled down to five (40-35).

"Every game we lost this year we beat ourselves — not to take anything away from our opponents," said national coach Kevin Reece.

"We have to do the basic fundamentals ... shoot, pass, make sure the right people handle the ball. We didn't play to our capabilities and our defence was on and off. We need sustained defence for 40 minutes but we were slow and indecisive. We also missed a lot of free-throws, I think it was 16 out of 22, but I'm not sure.

"We had turnovers in the last couple of minutes ... I can coach them but I can't go out there (and play).

"I don't know the situation tomorrow (today) and if we are still in the
hunt for gold but we need to play better than we have the last two
games," added the American.

Trailing 40-35, Labuan started the last quarter brightly with an 8-3 run to even the scores at 43-43 two minutes in.

Choo Yung Jian — the hero during Friday night's 59-55 victory over Kota
Kinabalu (KK) when his freethrow with seven seconds remaining made it a double possession game and sealed the game dished out a trey to get the crowd on their feet. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

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

Read more...

SWEET REVENGE

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, August 14, 2010

IT WAS a dream start for national basketball coach Kevin Reece.

The American, who took over as Brunei coach in December, guided the national team to a memorable 59-55 victory over Kota Kinabalu in the 12th Borneo City Cup Men's Basketball Invitational Tournament 2010 at
the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat last night.

Reece's boys have played in various local tournaments and netted their first title in the 2010 Goh Hock Kee Cup last month but this was the first
time they had scored a win while representing the country in an international/ regional tournament.

Last night's victory was also a sweet revenge for the national side who were thrashed 67-89 by the same team in Miri last year. Full report and picture on A19.

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Brunei KO KK in nail biter

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, August 14, 2010

BASKETBALL fans were left on the edge of their seats as the Men's national basketball team put up an intense defensive effort to prevail over Kota Kinabalu (KK) 59-55 last night in the 12th Borneo City Men Basketball Invitation Tournament 2010 at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Brunei had led by as much as 14 points in the game but a quick 7-2 run in the beginning of the final stanza saw KK close to within 41-44 in the first two minutes. The national cagers were running the floor but poor passing led to turnovers which KK exploited to finally grab the lead at 47-46 via a three-pointer, courtesy of Halbert Legada halfway through the quarter.

From then on, it was a see-saw battle between both sides which boiled down to a battle of freethrows.

KK's Fadlisyam Ismail split his charities to bring his team within 55-58 with 24 seconds remaining.

His team was, however, not in the penalty, which meant that they had to foul to stop the clock.

Choo Yung Jian iced the game when he stepped up to the line to split his free throws with seven seconds remaining to make it a double possession game, thus sealing the win.

"We didn't play practically well on defence and I thought we had them on the ropes in the second quarter when we led by double digits. In the end, it turned into a see-saw battle but we knew we just had to stay focus," national basketball coach Kevin Reece informed The Brunei Times after the win.

"Our guard play was not the best and we'll need them to do a better job. We had too many turnovers but it's a good thing because the last time we had so many we lost," he said.

Three players got into double figures for the Sultanate with Ben Sim leading the way with 16 points, six rebounds, four steals and four assists. Muhd Zainul Ashyraf Hj Hussin produced a double-double effort with 12 points and 13 rebounds while Yap Chun Ping chipped in 11. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Brunei vets shine, not slowing down with age

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, August 14, 2010

THE Brunei national veteran team got their campaign off to winning ways, notching a 71-55 victory over Miri last night in the 11th Borneo City Veteran Basketball Invitation Tournament 2010 at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Rosli Said topscored for Brunei with 14 points while Tony Tan and Lim Thin Teck poured in 13 and 12 respectively in the triumph.

Only Huong Yu Hua got into double figures for Miri with 12 points while Kuan Yuk Khin and King Sze Kwang each chipped in nine points in the losing effort.

The Sultanate's ballers got off firing on all cylinders to knock down their shots at will while their effective 3-2 zone defence managed to deny their opponents any easy looks. They also covered the paint well, forcing Miri to resort to outside shots.

Miri were successful in grabbing offensive rebounds but misfired on several possessions to see them trail 9-15, heading into the second quarter.

Brunei continued to play well, moving the ball around to find the open man for easy baskets.

On the other hand, Miri's struggling offence, allowed Brunei to extend their lead to 31-15 midway through the period.

Rosli was heating up on the offensive end for 11 points in the stanza to put Brunei firmly in the driving seat with a scoreline of 41-24 at halftime.

Miri were resurgent after the break and came out with a man-to-man defensive strategy that allowed them to pick up steals. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

National basketball squad take on Borneo

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, August 12, 2010

THE Men's national basketball team are all prepped up and ready to go
in the 2010 Borneo Cup, which the Sultanate will host starting tomorrow
till Sunday, at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

The team has had more than a week's break from the 2010 Sultan's Cup which they are currently competing as Soon Lee-Easyway.

They have so far notched up two wins and a loss after three games in the group stages of the ongoing tournament.

"We're ready to play and we will just have to go out there and put everything together that we've been working on for the past six months. This is our first real challenge to represent the country and the Brunei flag and we got to give everything we got. This is what it's all about," national basketball coach Kevin Reece (pic) told The Brunei Times yesterday.

"We're trying to make our final push and preparations now. However, some of them are suffering from injuries but they are playing through it," he added.

"After the tournament we will know what we need to continue to work on to get to the level that we want to play against those from this region," continued the American.

The fasting month of Ramadhan begins today and the coach is unfazed by that despite the line up boasting several Muslim players Hj Md Badri Hj Suhaili, Pg Md Faizuladzmi Pg Tajuddin, Muhd Zainul Ashyraf Hj Hussin and Muiz Hj Abdul Ghani. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Young Guns misfire against Palm Cafe

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, August 12, 2010

THERE was no slaying of the giants in yesterday night's 2010 Sultan's
Cup as Palm Cafe thrashed Young Guns 135-89 to sweep Group B at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

It was the highest scoring output by any team so far in the tournament and seven players notched double figures for Palm Cafe.

Vincent Superio and Allan Caringal each poured in matching game-highs of 28 points for the tournament favourites. Danny Felicilda contributed 19
points and Mike Nuguid added 18. The trio of Majomar Aying, Don Mordeno and Mark Del Mundo chipped in 15, 14 and 12 points respectively in the demolition.

On the other hand, Hung Jiunn Nan topscored for Young Guns with 19 points and Willie Jong added 16. Lim Yee Cheng and Chua Shi Xuan chipped in 12 points each to a losing cause.

It was a close affair in the opening period with Felicilda and Caringal, scoring 11 and eight points in the quarter respectively to carry Palm Cafe on offence.

On the other hand, Hung had a good first period as he fired nine points to keep Young Guns within 20-27 heading into the second quarter.

But that was as close as it got for Young Guns as Palm Cafe turned up their game in the second stanza. They exploited their height advantage to haul down rebounds after rebounds for second chance points, while running the floor swiftly to score on fastbreaks. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

Read more...

Estetika advance as Aewon fall

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Estetika erased a 13-point deficit to defeat Aewon 99-95 in Group C to advance into the second round of the 2010 Sultan's Cup last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Five players hit double figures for Estetika with Jerold Pascua notching a
team-high of 21 points. Ronald Borromeo poured in 19 while Sherwin
Antonio added 17. Manny Meridor and Martinez chipped in 11 and 10 points respectively in the victory.

Four players put in double-digit performances for Aewon with Cavan Kong scoring a game-high 32 points including five triples.

Facing an 82-88 deficit in the final two minutes of the match, Estetika, who were in the penalty, were fouling their opponents to stop the clock.
Aewon were put to the test at the charity stripe but could only make nine out of their 18 attempts. Estetika finally took the lead with a 96-95 scoreline in the final 30 seconds, courtesy of split freethrows by Pascuas.

"They're a good team with a lot of shooters and our players were not fast enough on defence against them. We needed to freeze the time so we were giving away the fouls and they couldn't get it done from the line," said Estetika head coach Edwin Cabana after the triumph.

It was Aewon that came out firing off the gates as they were nailing their shots from beyond the arc to open up a 22-14 lead going into the second quarter. Kong was putting up a shooting clinic and scored the first 10 points for Aewon in the second period but Estetika would play better basketball to close the gap to 39-40 at halftime.

Aewon onced again picked up the slack in the third stanza and were passing the ball well, with Chin catching on fire to connect on four triples to extend Aewon's lead to 59-46 midway through the period.

Estetika continued to play airtight defence in the fourth period and were forcing turnovers off their opponents. They were also playing with more
confidence with the backing of the crowd that set up the nail biting finish.

"We're looking forward to the next round and we'll have to improve further at both ends of the court and also on our stamina," said Cabana.

The second game saw Sharks sweep Group A with a 82-66 victory over Team Wayne.

The competition continues today with Palm Cafe going up against Young Guns in Group B at 7pm. The second game pits MK Kids Salon against SKT also in Group B at 8.30pm.

Source: The Brunei Times

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Sharks stay perfect

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, August 9, 2010

Sharks kept their perfect record intact with a 91-71 triumph over Ifdhaal Enterprise in Group A of the 2010 Sultan's Cup at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat last night.

Four players notched double figures for Sharks with Aries Castro putting up a shooting clinic with 36 points. Jolito Entapan added 15 while Geve
Leones and Elvin Requintin chipped in 13 and 11 points respectively in the win.

On the other hand, Armando Estoesta topscored for Ifdhaal Enterprise with 20 points while Ahmad Termizi Nordeen and Hj Md Rahmat Hj Suhaili each poured in 15 points to a losing cause.

Ifdhaal Enterprise started off on the wrong foot last night. Sharks were
throwing quick outlet passes after each rebound and Castro was the main benefactor at the offensive end as he poured in 10 points in the opening period to help Sharks open up a 23-13 lead going into the second quarter.

It was the same affair in the second period as Sharks were trapping and pressing their opponents' ball handler at the defensive end for steals.

Ifdhaal Enterprise failed to handle the pressure which resulted in turnovers. Sharks were going on fastbreaks to score easily and extended their lead to 47-26 at halftime.

Ifdhaal Enterprise never backed down and nailed their shots when given the opportunity. Sharks were gifting their opponents open looks as they
failed to put a hand in their face on set plays.

But Castro was on fire with his catch shooting for 16 points in the stanza as Sharks rode on a 70-52 cushion into the final quarter.

They continued to run the floor in the fourth period and extended their lead to as large as 28 points as they cruised to victory sending Ifdhaal Enterprise to their third straight loss.

"I'm not satisfied with our  performance yet. We haven't had any practice yet and we're still lacking communication on the floor," said Leones, the captain of Sharks, in an interview with The Brunei Times, after the win.

"Our defence and stamina are fine at the moment. We'll need to talk to each other more on offence and get more passing done as well," added Leones.

Meanwhile, Ranoadidas Rockettes emerged champions of the women's category after they edged Steam Solutions 56-54 in the earlier match.

Source: The Brunei Times

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MK Kids eat Bread

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, August 8, 2010

MK KIDS SALON picked up their second straight victory with a 78-61 triumph over Breadstop Teamz in Group B of the 2010 Sultan's Cup at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat last night.

Roldan Binas had the game-high of 20 points to pace MK Kids Salon while Jeff Paraiso and Erwin Velez chipped in 13 and 10 points respectively.

On the other hand, Leonard Ong topscored for Breadstop Teamz with 14 points while younger brother, Herculanus Ong, contributed 12 points. Tony Bong added 11 points in a losing effort.

Both teams got off to a slow start and were missing their shots. But MK Kids managed to get ahead 15-11 heading into the second quarter.

MK Kids Salon had the height advantage and were dominating the boards. Binas had the hot hands for MK Kids Salon and poured in 12 points in the period itself to extend his team's lead to 37-28 at halftime.

Things at the offensive end remained sluggish for MK Kids Salon despite getting open looks. Breadstop Teamz couldn't get into the paint and were settling for outside shots. Hanzel Enopia closed the stanza with five straight points to put his team on top 53-39 going into the final quarter.

MK Kids Salon picked up their game in the fourth period and shots were finally starting to fall. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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Team Wayne survive Ifdhaal charge

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, August 7, 2010

TEAM WAYNE squandered a 22-point lead but survived a late charge by Ifdhaal Enterprise to escape with a 68-66 victory last night in Group A of the 2010 Sultan's Cup at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Goh Khin Yeh topscored for Team Wayne with 18 points and Koh Wee Chian poured in 12 to deliver Team Wayne's first win in two games.

Three players scored into double figures for Ifdhaal Enterprise with Sonny Bautista notching a game-high 23 points while Ahmad Termizi Nordeen and Armando Estoesta chipped in 18 and 16 points respectively to the losing effort.

It was mostly one way traffic in the first quarter with Team Wayne securely in control. They were taking their time and hitting their shots while Ifdhaal Enterprise were rushing on offence which allowed their opponents to quickly open up an 18-8 lead heading into the second quarter.

Ifdhaal Enterprise were out of sync on both ends of the floor and consequently could not get their shots to fall.

Team Wayne were moving the ball well, getting it to the open man who responded by knocking down shots to extend their cushion to 40-18 at halftime.

Team Wayne were doing well on the boards but ended up settling for too many outside shots which they failed to convert after the interval.

They were also making turnovers via erratic passes which allowed their opponents to build momentum and get back into the match.

Ifdhaal Enterprise were running the floor well and eventually cut the deficit to 51-42 going into the final stanza.

Ifdhaal Enterprise were playing with more energy and breaking down their opponents defence to score from the paint. Team Wayne were resistant in taking shots despite getting decent looks and failed to add to the scoreboard. Their opponents were getting more confident after each basket and a Bautista three-pointer off the glass brought them to as close as 56-60 with two minutes to play. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times

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