HPB: Confidence booster for youngsters in loss to Yulon

Although the final score was 64-94 in favour of the Yulon Dinos, this final match for Malaysia in the HPB Invitational allowed the team to end the tournament on a good note. The two objectives the team set before the game, namely: to score more than the previous two games, and not to let the opponents break the century mark, had been met.

Point guard, Tong Wen Yung, and power forward, Kuek Tian Yuan, played well in the first half. Tian Yuan, fully aware of the fact that he did not have to strength or bulk to bang it up inside, chose to play an outside game, and to his credit, scored 12 points, including two 3-pointers.

Coach Soo had emphasized to his team the importance of getting back on defense as quickly as possible, mainly because this was the team's biggest weakness this tournament. Our boys were unable to react after a made basket, and often saw their opponents retaliate with a fast break as they did not get back on defense quickly enough.

Yulon had chose not to use their star players, Sean Chen Hsin-An and Tseng Wen-Ting for this match. Compared with the previous two teams Malaysia had faced, this Yulon team was relatively smaller, but was the fastest of the three. As our boys tended to be slow back on defense, Yulon managed to steal quite a few fast break points.

Center, Wu Rui-Jin, was the main cog in the Yulon's fast break machine, often acting as the trailer on Yulon fast breaks, scoring most of his points off three-point-plays. scored 9 points in the fourth quarter alone, and finished the game with 18 points.

The HPB Invitational may have been beyond the league of our boys, and although the games were hardly a contest for our opponents, the experience had allowed the younger players on the team, such as Kuek Tian Yuan and Gan Hong Hoong to show their potential.

Tian Yuan has shown much promise, and given his height and good shooting touch, will undoubtedly be part of Malaysia's success in the future. Experienced players, Tong Wen Yung, Ong Chun Kee and Chin Teck Wei also did well in leading the team, and each played their role in helping Malaysia close out this tournament with a good game.

By Chen Hui Jing ‧ 17th October 2009

小输裕隆30分
我男小将信心渐立

马来西亚男篮队以渐入佳境的姿态，完成参加台湾花莲观护杯国际邀请赛的三场比赛。尽管球队以64比94不敌卫冕队裕隆纳智捷队，但是，基本上，我队队员已促渐建立了信心。

本场比赛，我队立定要超越前两场比赛的得分，同时继续压制对方不破百分，两个目的都能达致。上半场，控卫唐文勇和大前锋郭添源有不俗演出，尤其添源，知道单薄的身体不敌冲撞，因此，时而拉出外围出手，得12分，包括2记三分远射。

首次带队征战的前国手苏永庆一直向队强调回防速度的重要性，这也是我队在本次球赛暴露的最大弱点，队员的防守意识仍有待加强，往往就在已队进球队，还来不及反应，就被对手的快传而丢分。

裕隆队收起了陈信安和曾文鼎两员大将，但临时拉来了其他队员替入以12人全军与我队竞技。相对来说，从整体身高来说，裕隆队是三个对手当中偏矮的一队，不过，在速度上，却是最为快速的一队。

我队回防意识薄弱，正好给裕隆队制造了取分的机会，身高195公分的大前锋吴睿敬在快攻打乱我队防守后，经常以后来者姿态硬闯禁区，频频有得分带罚的机会，单是第4节，个人就取得9分，全场得18分。

对我队来说，观护杯赛的水平远在我队之上，我队只能以练兵和学习的心态参与，但是就竞技的角度而言，没有太大的意义，尤其实力悬殊，未能有对抗，学习所得相对要有限许多。

可是，从个别队员来说，本次参赛却让小将如郭添源、颜坊峰、朱伟鸿等有所展现，尤其添源，具备相当理想的身高又有外投能力，若能加强体格的耐撞能力，他将有望成为我队的未来希望。

在资深队员方面，唐文勇、王俊棋和陈德伟，都扮演着推动球队前进的角色。我队能够在三场比赛逐场提高得分，三子发挥了一定的作用。

刘祖麟报道