Ti-I, TLLF girls vow to put on a good show
Jockey Club Ti-I College (Ti-I) and CCC Tam Lee Lai Fun Memorial Secondary School (TLLF) will clash in the girls' final of the 2004/05 All-Hong Kong Schools Jing Ying Basketball Tournament today.
Ti-I, who were eliminated in the quarter-finals last year, scored a hard-fought victory over Sacred Heart Canossian College yesterday. Ti-I clinched the semi-final match-up 42-36.
TLLF, on the other hand, had a relatively easier path to the final, beating defending champions, Ying Wa Girls' School 46-24.
The girls from Ti-I and TLLF are good friends off the court, but they vowed to play their best to beat their 'buddies' in the final.
'We have great confidence and are going to play at full-steam,' said TLLF's Ngai Bik-yin.
'Both sides have played against each other many times so we know them very well.
'Ti-I lack consistency. They play well sometimes but they can look ordinary at times. As long as we stay calm and keep an eye on their key players, Wong Wai-chi, Wong Hoi-shan and Kwong Suk-ching, we'll win.'
Bik-yin, a Form Four student, was named the Most Valuable Player in September's Super-X Secondary School Basketball Competition. She is looking forward to winning the first Jing Ying trophy for her school.
'I didn't start the game well against Ying Wa because I was tightly marked,' she said.
'We were tied at half-time. We changed tactics and played better after the break. Therefore, we won.
'I joined TLLF this summer and really want to win the trophy for us.'
Bik-yin's friend, Wai-chi from Ti-I, is also determined to lift the title as it is her last year with the school.
'I am in Form Seven this year and this is the last chance to win it,' said Wai-chi. 'Some of my teammates are also in Form Seven or Form Five. We may have a totally different team next year.'
Ti-I were leading Sacred Heart by 19 points early in the first half. But things went downhill after Wai-chi, who was carrying a slight injury, fouled out in the second half.
'We were a bit lost but fortunately we were able to pick ourselves up later on. And the 19-point lead earlier on compensated for the poor second half.'
The girls' final will start at 10.30am today at Osman Ramju Sadick Memorial Sports Centre in Kwai Chung. Ying Wa will face Sacred Heart in the third-place play-off at 9.15am at the same venue.
