Ain't no mountain high enough for Bukit Ladang

DESPITE trailing for most of the game, Bukit Ladang kept on ploughing to beat Team Wayne 'B' 76-60 in last night's 2009 Brunei Pepsi Cup action.

Booking their berth in the quarter-finals of the tournament, the win for Bukit Ladang at the Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) court in Batu Bersurat will not concern Team Wayne 'B' too much as they are already in the last eight.

Team Wayne 'B' enjoyed a 22-11 lead at the end of the first quarter, but it would have been foolish to write off Bukit Ladang so early, the experienced side having the national men's team head coach Tony Tan in their ranks.

Relying on their shooting for points in the second quarter, Bukit Ladang's game was a stark comparison to their opponents who preferred to drive to the basket.

But it was the disparity in rebounds that really marked the two sides out.

Bukit Ladang dominated the paint and secured numerous opportunities for second chance points and at the same time limited Team Wayne 'B' at the other end of the court.

Team Wayne 'B' were unable to manufacture high percentage scoring shots and found their lead dwindled to 33-29 at the end of the second quarter.

Antonio Bautista's ability to penetrate to the hoop meant he was one of the go-to-guys on the offensive end for Team Wayne 'B', but it was unfair to rely on the power forward for all the points.

A loss of focus at the start of the third period by Team Wayne 'B' saw Bukit Ladang embark on a 10-0 run, with shooting guard Rosli Said nailing the shot from downtown which gave Bukit Ladang the lead at 34-31.

Team Wayne 'B' only managed to get on the scoreboard mid-way through the quarter, a testament to their opponents' tenacious defence.

Their turnovers did not hold Team Wayne 'B's cause, and they were unable to cope with Bukit Ladang's ability to turn on the afterburners and race to fast break points whenever they had the chance.

Leading 59-51 at the end of the period, Bukit Ladang's coach Yong See Yong believed his team's victory was due to their defence.

"It was all because we changed our defence in the second half. We made sure to play man to man on Bautista and zone with the other players.

"We might have been trailing, but I was always confident we could win the match, our players are skilled and experienced," he added.

The second game of the night saw unbeaten Linktech defeat the winless Gadong Boy 101-63.

Tonight's action will see YTE take to the court against KOF at 7pm while Babes Boutique face White Heaven at 8.30pm. (JT 04)The Brunei Times