KE vs TH : 24 - 40

The score was 12-4 in our favour, which, frankly, I was surprised to hear. I learned that some team members had returned from their holidays and as one KEVIIan put it, “We’re finally playing our usual game”.

Our defense was quite strong. We were not giving them a chance and we were even capitalising on their mistakes (one of our players even stole the ball from them in their own quarter and scored a stunning fast break). The words “Hao qiu” (meaning ‘well played’ in Chinese) were repeatedly being shouted out by the by-standers. I noticed that the clouds were overhead and jokingly suggested that they had brought out a sinister side to the team. Indeed, I’m sure that our confidence was so daunting that it was affecting their performances. Temasek players were even missing their free shots. By the end of the first quarter the score was 12-4.

Even though it appeared that we were doing well I was still wary as we were leading against Eusoff too in the last game but as the game went on we lost the lead and, consequently, the game.

In the second quarter, our captain got injured, a sprain I think. There was a worrisome silence but the KE team bravely played on. Looking back at the incident, I’d be pretty accurate in stating that this was the turning moment for Temasek. It’s not that the player posed special importance and was a threat to Temasek and hence gave them the edge. It was instead just that KE seemed to have dropped its guard and doubt gnawed at us allowing Temasek to take the game by storm. Psychology in a basketball game does sound weird but nevertheless, it was true.

Temasek scored point after point, layup after layup, from then on, while KE supporters watched in dismay. The score had become 12-15 from 12-4 earlier on. They scored 11 points while we were left standing.

We did collect ourselves, and stopped the onslaught. We were then always close behind them and kept them on their heels. The third quarter was thus quite action packed with end to end basketball being played. Each side was desperately trying to prevent the other from scoring. I could see KE’s teamwork at its best with everyone communicating and sweating hard and trying their best.

The score became 17-17 after a 3 point shot by a KE player and I was happy. I was happy because this is the stuff that journalists love to write about. You could see it all - the excitement with the crowd seemingly on their feet, the passion of the players especially when a KEVIIan player dramatically slipped on the wet floor but quickly got up disregarding any pain, the rush with every point scored (knowing that the whole team thanks you for it). We were fighting just as hard as them and indeed if there was anything that Temasek surpassed us with then it was the white Temasek flag that they were waving in the air. That’s how close things were.

But soon the tables were overturned and the deadlock broken. It was Temasek who held a 11 point advantage this time and with this comfortable lead they promptly substituted their whole team. A luxury that, unfortunately, we could not afford. With the fresh blood injected into their team a fightback seemed more and more unlikely. By the end of the third quarter the score was 33-23.

One quarter left and ten points to cover. “There’s still hope” were the sentiments echoed by a die-hard supporter next to me. I didn’t share the optimism and the last quarter only widened the gap.

Temasek, in the last quarter, managed to neutralise our team captain knowing that he seemed to be the only hope for the team. Marking him tightly, they made it impossible for him to do anything and we only made it worse by feeding him every ball that we could muster when going up in attack. How ironic that our captain’s very skill made him ineffectual.

Eventually the final whistle was blown and the score was 47-23. It seemed that two games were played - the first one where we won and the second one where we lost. It was just that the first one was far shorter than the second and so Temasek won easily. If we had played every quarter like our first then the game would definitely have been in our pocket.

An important fact that I noticed in both games that KE played in (that was particularly prevalent here) was our weakness at rebounding. Tall players of the opposing team usually bullied us and won the ball and scored points that proved crucial in the end. These giants towering above the rest were a particular menace that we failed to address.

Alongside this, it was our stamina that largely brought us down. We could not keep running up and down and the fatigue only made it harder for the players to be alert and at the end Temasek players were just running amok through the defence on some occasions.

Still, I must say that we exited with our heads held high. Now, I’m not saying that blindly just because I am a KEVIIan. I’m saying that after observing how we usually start every game blitzing through the enemy and often holding a comfortable lead. That’s not how a team “destined to lose” plays, and that’s not what we are. We didn’t get hammered from the very start and we definitely didn’t adopt a defeatist attitude.
So we did exit with our heads held high.

We don’t have what it takes, yes. Not just yet. Still, like the supporter, I have to say that “there’s still hope”.

- Suhas Bhat