The NORTHERN ZONE CHAMPIONSHIP

The Cagers won their 7^th consecutive PHT Northern Zone Championships in SMS Tun Syed Sheh Shahabuddin (SMSTSSS) Bukit Mertajam convincingly. This year Quest-4-Glory (Q4G) had to field ‘new’ team after 8 seniors graduated, leaving behind the juniors to fill in their big shoes. The Cagers 09 struggled to show their true talents, with the games being played with a 7 minutes non stop every quarter (a total of 28 minutes per game), the Cagers couldn’t capitalize on one of their strengths, stamina. It was really a short game, not more than 5 minutes of actual playing time, a total of 20 minutes per game.

The Cagers left Kuala Kangsar at 2:00 pm with 12 players (3 Form 5s, 6 Form 4s and 3 Form 3s) accompanied by Cikgu Rizal led by Cikgu Hisham plus the Debaters. They arrived safely in SMSTSSS at 4:00 pm. After unloading and settling down in the respective dorms, the Cagers went down for a light training and to feel the court.

Tuesday 10 Mac

8:00 am vs. SBPI Kubang Pasu

The Cagers’ struggled in the first quarter. Despite being better skilled than SBPIKP players, Cagers just couldn’t settle down and played their normal game. They managed to lead 8 – 3 at the end of 1^st quarter. The starters (Syai, Ammar, Am, Syafiq Ihsan & Mat Nor) struggled to establish their patterned plays. 2^nd quarter showed marked improvement as the cagers settled down and managed to stretch the lead to 23 – 7. The 2^nd team took over at the 2^nd half. They showed better composure than the first team. They extended the lead to 36 – 15 after the 3^rd quarter. The Cagers tightened their defence in the last quarter and took advantage of their better stamina to win the game 48 – 15. They managed to hit 4 3-pointers despite the 3-point line were as far as in NBA.

11:15 am vs SMS Sultan Md. Jiwa

The Cagers started well this time. The starters established a lead 11 – 2 at the end of 1^st quarter. However, the second team struggled when they took over in the 2^nd quarter. Nothing was falling in; luckily they managed to put up a strong defense. The score was 17 – 4 at the half. The second team recovered in the second half by scoring 12 points to lead 29 – 6 by the 3^rd quarter. They cruised in the last quarter and failed to keep the intensity to win by 33 - 8.

4:15 pm vs SMSultan Abd. Halim

The Cagers again struggled to establish themselves early in the game. The starters struggled to lead 10 – 6 at the end of 1^st quarter. In the 2^nd half, the starters began to dominate the game and held SMSAH scoreless to lead 26 – 6 at the half. The second team took over at the start of 2^nd half. Playing 3 games a day took its toll on the 2^nd team. Nothing was falling in, luckily they managed to put up a strong defense. The score was 28 – 10 after the 3^rd quarter. The second team continued to struggle in the last quarter but they managed to hold on the lead and won 32 – 14.

Wednesday 11 Mac

11:15 am vs. SBPI Gopeng

Cagers’ starters played well to lead 12 – 4 after the 1^st quarter. They tightened up their defense and capitalized the opponent’s inability to score to lead 31 – 9 at the half. The second team took over in the second half. They continued the excellent defense and kept SBPI scoreless in the second half. Cagers won 49 – 9. The Cagers showed marked improvement in their performance. They managed to hit 2 3-pointers in the game.

4:15 pm vs. STAR

Both teams were undefeated, the winner would be the group champion. Cagers’ starters started well by frustrating the STAR players through their excellent defence. Cagers led 14 – 6 at the the of 1^st quarter. The second five took over in the 2^nd quarter and continued the excellent defence and held STAR scoreless to 22 – 6 at the half. The second team failed to keep the intensity during the 3^rd quarter but they still managed to lead 27 – 12 at the end of 3^rd quarter. They recovered in the last quarter and again held STAR scoreless to win 40 – 12. The Cagers hit 7 3-pointers in the game. The inconsistency of the second team is a bit worrying. They need more game exposure and experience to maintain the intensity in the game.

Thursday 12 Mac

8:00 am Semifinal vs. SMSTSPutra

The Cagers started well this time by pressuring the SMSTSP players into making mistakes after mistakes. They led 10 – 3 after the 1^st quarter. The second team took over and continued the pressure. They managed to increase4 the lead to 24 – 9 at the half. The second team held SMSTSP scoreless in the the 3^rd quarter to 34 – 9. They continued their excellent play to win 46 – 14. The Cagers managed to hit only 1 3-pointer.

10:45 am Final vs. STAR

STAR made it to the final after beating SMSTSSS 16 - 14 in the other semifinal. It was a very close game all the way. Playing 7 minutes non-stop benefitted STAR players. They didn’t have the stamina to last the proper 10 minutes per quarter game.

The final game was played in a subdued atmosphere. STAR couldn’t field their main players after the tough semifinal The Cagers played in a relaxed manner while keeping the opponent at bay by playing excellent defense. Cagers led 11 – 2 in the 1^st quarter. The second team took over from the 2^nd quarter. They struggled to score but still managed to keep the lead 18 – 4 at the half. In the second half, the second team continued to cruise to extended the lead 21 – 8 after the 3^rd quarter. They slowed down in the last quarter but still managed to extend the lead. Cagers won 27 – 10. Playing the game at noon affected both teams, STAR being the worst. The Cagers struggled to maintain their intensity in the scorching sun.

Conclusion

Overall, the Cagers played well in patches during the tournament. Skill and stamina wise, they were on a different league compared to other teams. Their lacked of game experience and it showed during the first day. They showed apparent nervousness against lowly opponents. They regain their composure and played better during the next day. They couldn’t afford to be nervous in the Nationals later. We are planning some motivation session with ISN later, before the finals.