Ying Wa make it four in a row despite not at their best
Ying Wa College overwhelmed La Salle College to win the boys' Kowloon Division One inter-school basketball competition for the fourth year in a row. The game took place last Friday at Southorn Stadium in Wan Chai.
The stadium was packed with enthusiastic supporters of both teams. Chants of 'Let's go Ying Wa!' and 'La Salle! La Salle!' echoed around the stadium as fans beat their drums and cheered for their heroes.
Ying Wa managed to claim their remarkable fourth consecutive title despite not being at their best. Their shooting was poor, but they still held a comfortable 37-26 lead entering the fourth quarter. Their strong rebounding and ability to capitalise on La Salle's turnovers helped them to build up the advantage. Ying Wa led by as many as 16 points at one stage in the third quarter.
Ying Wa's shooting went from bad to worse in the fourth quarter, as they managed just three points in the first nine minutes. This allowed La Salle to come within five points of their rivals.
However, time was running out and Ying Wa players calmly sank eight free throws in the final minutes to grab a 49-39 win.
In the semi-finals, La Salle had stunned basketball powerhouse Diocesan Boys' School (DBS) 34-33. As was the case in the past few years, DBS were favoured to meet Ying Wa in the championship final, but La Salle spoiled their party.
Now Ying Wa are full of confidence as they prepare for next month's Jing Ying tournament. Meanwhile, DBS, the defending Jing Ying champions, will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing performance.
