UM 08/09 Team Farewell for Zhu Hua

Clearer pictures of our team farewell for Zhu Hua.

UM 08/09 Team Farewell for Zhu Hua

We will miss our "China" player, Zhu Hua a.k.a. "Paul Pierce".
Although he's only been with our team for a few months, he's become an
integral part of the heart and soul of our team.

But as we tell all players who has ever been a part of our team, we
only have one type of team membership ie Lifetime membership - once a
UM team member, ALWAYS a UM team member.

UM 08/09 Team Farewell for Zhu Hua

Team farewell for our player from Beijing University, Zhu Hua, who
will be flying back to Beijing, China tonight ... at Red Box Karaoke,
the Curve.

UM v UPM (girls) Finals

Our girls played a great game. Great effort, fantastic 3-point
shooting (especially Chai Leng and Ying Shin) and excellent defense
(especially Soo Kuen).

In the end, UPM's continued full court zone press created too many
turnovers. Together with UPM's own good shooting proved too much for
our girls.

Final score : UPM wins 73-50.

Well done to our girls and to our girls' coaching staff, Ben and Bik
Yih, for the great job they have done.

UM! Spirit!!

UM v UPM (girls) Finals

UPM on a 14-0 run. Current score 42-22. Continued problems dealing
with their zone press. Lots of turnovers.

Our girls are trying hard. Come on UM girls!!

Regards,
Loke Yew, Khor

Sent from my iPhone

UM v UPM (girls) Finals

Our girls fighting hard! On an 11-3 run now. Current score 28-22. Go
UM girls!!

UM v UPM (girls) Finals

UM girls won their Semi Finals game yesterday against UUM.

Now playing finals against UPM. UPM playing a lot of full court zone
press and our girls having a lot of problems with it.

After 1 quarter score is 25-11 UPM leading.

UM v UUM (girls) - Semi Finals

A hard fought 3rd quarter. UUM closed within 8 points several times
but our girls were able to pull away again getting critical 3 pointers
from Pei Wen, Mai-Mai and Ying Shin and several crucial 2 point shots
from various players. .

Start of 4th quarter, UM leading 48-34

UM v UUM (girls) - Semi Finals

UM girls started well, leading 16-8 after the 1st quarter. UUM started
the 2nd quarter with a flurry if 3 pointers to close within 18-16.

Since then our girls' defense (led by Soo Kuen's numerous steals) has
resulted in a 17-2 run.

Current score : 33-18 UM leading.

UM v UPM (boys)

Defeat! UM played a great game, matching UPM's players, play for play,
defensive stop for defensive stop, hustle play for hustle play, for tv
1st two quarters and much of the 3rd.

In the end however, we were not able to match their incredible outside
shooting.

Final score : 79-60.

The coaches are very proud of our players, every single one of them.

We will work hard next season and make sure our UM team continue to
improve.

The biggest area we need to address is to develop a systematic method
to coach, teach and improve our players shooting. That is the Coach's
off season assignment. In the meantime, any comments / suggestions are
welcomed.

Thanks for following our blog and supporting us throughout the
competition. Your support and words of encouragement (many through SMS-
es) are truly appreciated and gretly motivate all of us.

On behalf of the UM boys' basketball coaching staff and players, thank
you.

UM v UPM (boys)

UM boys team are now at the games venue waiting for our 11pm game
against UPM.

Both players who had come down with fever (Amirul [starting PG] and
Ming Chian [starting PF]) are feeling much better and both want to try
to play. Coaches will evaluate them carefully and they will be a game
time decision as to whether we will allow them to play. Players health
and safety must come first and foremost.

UPM should present us our biggest challenge. We believe we are ready
and we are confident of our chances.

As I have no Internet access at UUM and can only post to our blog when
at the games venue (Tunjang) or in nearby Changlun (where we normally
have meals), and due to the lateness of tonight's game, I will post
the results after the game tonight but will likely only be able to
post a write up by tomorrow afternoon.

Wish us luck and support us in spirit and heart!!

Regards,
Loke Yew, Khor

Sent from my iPhone

UM v UKM (girls)

UM won easily 54-18. However Coach Ben reports that our girls played a
good first quarter (scoring 24 points) but played poorly in the 2nd
(scoring only 4 points). Fortunately UKM being a poor team did score
many points either.

Our girls got many open shots off the set plays but missed almost all
of them in that 2nd quarter.

Our girls will have to play better in their next game (semi) against
UUM. UUM will present our girls their first real challenge tomorrow at
4pm.

Go UM girls!!

Regards,
Loke Yew, Khor

Sent from my iPhone

Challenges

We are now at games venue scouting UPM's round of 16 match against
UTHM. UTHM is out matched and have no chance.

As expected though, UPM's star center No. 14 has arrived and is
playing. His presence make a big difference for UPM as their bench
players are poor (much poorer than the year before) and No. 14's
presence allows them to field a complete 5 man unit.

Nonetheless, our team has been preparing all along on the basis that
No. 14 will be present, so we are fully prepared. Coaches have always
been fully confident of our chances against UPM. Having seen UPM and
their No. 14, our players are also confident they can meet and
overcome the challenge.

We will send our players back to college for a good rest, shortly. Our
game against UPM will tip off at 11pm tonight. Stay tuned!!

Critical Keys to Success

During our afternoon nap time today, our "Critical Keys to Success"
poster fell off the notice board where it was pinned up.

When we went to wake the team captain (Poh Guan) for lunch, we found
him fast asleep but tenderly hugging our poster that's fallen down!!

Now that is dedication and determination to our principles of success!!

Critical Keys to Success

Below is our "Critical Keys to Success". It's pinned up in the
captain's room and the players all know it by heart. Many "salute" the
poster (referred to by the players as "hormat") before each game.

More adversity!!

A 2nd player has come down with fever ... Amirul (starting PG). He's
been brought to the clinic and has seen the doctor, who has put him on
medication. He (along with Ming Chian) is resting as much as possible
today.

We will continue to remain focused and will overcome all adversities.

Regards,
Loke Yew, Khor

Sent from my iPhone

MASUM - Adversity!

Our first major adversity. One of our twins, Ming Chian has come down
with a fever.

Thankfully it's not terribly bad but he is weak and feeling cold.

Some players began complaining about "bad luck" but we told them that
every team that wants to win a championship, must expect and overcome
adversity. We reminded them that even our 2007 Champions team had to
overcome their share of adversity - injuries to starting PG (Kenny
Tham), starting SG (Gan Wei Jian) and to backup PG (Fong Kean Chang) -
with each missing different games.

We will face and overcome all adversities. First priority is health
and safety of our players. Coach Pin has already brought Ming Chian to
see the standby night doctor last night and will bring him to the
Clinic this morning.

Other players have been briefed on the changes in our rotation and
they are all ready to step up and cover for our team mate who is ill.

Our goal and focus, both short and long term, remain the same - defeat
UPM tonight (11pm) and go on to win the Championship!

MASUM off day

After video session we went to watch UIAM v UTeM game. It was a very
close game throughout. Final score 68-61 UIAM won.

It shows UTeM is not as poor a team as their score against UM
suggests. Just that they were not prepared to face UM's man-to-man
half court defense.

After the game we hung around for awhile waiting for dinner time. As
can be seen from picture, some players are still very tired!!

MASUM day off

In the afternoon we had our video session. Players have worked really
hard with practices, scouting, games, video sessions ... no wonder
some (like team captain below - Poh Guan) are falling asleep!!

Of course, when Coach Pin quietly said "Oh, got KFC", he immediately
woke up and said groggily "where" ... Hahaha!

MASUM day off

And the other end borders a construction site!

But we made do with what is available and had a good session. Now we
are even better prepared.