Sarawak cagers falter 

KUCHING: The Sarawak men’s Sukma  basketball team failed to secure a victory in their first match against the Federal Territory team, at the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Stadium, Bintawa here last night.

The game began evenly, with both teams exchanging attacks and defences to accumulate points. However, the visiting team pulled ahead, leading the home team 40-24 by the second quarter.

The Sarawak squad attempted to make a comeback in the third quarter but still fell short. Despite Jonathan Wong’s efforts, the tallest member from the Sarawak team, they couldn’t catch up and finished the third quarter 33-46.

The Federal Territory team took the opportunity to extend their lead in the fourth quarter, finishing with a final score of 60 points, while the home team ended with 47 points.

Sarawak women’s team during a free throw.

This ultimately thwarted the home team’s attempt to rally in the last quarter, despite scoring over 10 points in the final minutes.

Lee Yong Ding emerged as the hero for the Federal Territory team after recording the highest score in the men’s first-round match with a total of 17 points.

Meanwhile, Sarawak’s women team also faced a challenging match against Negeri Sembilan, losing 54-67.

The game started evenly, with the first quarter ending 9-11 in favour of Negeri Sembilan. Sarawak continued to trail in the second quarter, finishing 21-26.

Despite finding some rhythm in the third quarter, Sarawak couldn’t close the gap, ending 33-42.

The fourth quarter intensified, but an unfortunate injury to player Khoo Yik Qiong, who collided with a teammate, disrupted their momentum.

Negeri Sembilan sealed the game with a two-point throw from Tan Xin Wei, followed by another from Mah Xin Tian, ending the match 54-67.

The Sarawak women’s team will face Melaka at 2 pm on Friday (Aug 16).

The home teams will face Johor in another two matches, scheduled for 3.30 pm and 5.30 pm this Saturday.