Lowhorn scores a season-high 35 points against Hi-Tech Bangkok City
OCBC Arena, Singapore – The JobStreet.com Singapore Slingers gritted it out with the visiting Hi-Tech Bangkok City, who were riding on their 7-game win streak, and came out victorious in overtime 78-75. Dior Lowhorn led all scorers with his season-high 35 points and 8 rebounds. Lowhorn tied the game with a three point shot from the baseline off an offensive rebound that sent the game into overtime, 66 all. Wong Wei Long, who finished with 16 points, missed a potential game winner after Hi-Tech Bangkok City made a blunder on their inbounds play right after Lowhorn’s game tying basket.
Hi-Tech Bangkok City, Thailand’s lone entry to the 2014 AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League, had 4 players scoring in double figures, led by Christien Charles who finished the game with 20 points, 22 rebounds, and 4 blocks before fouling out with 29 seconds left in overtime play. Wutipong Dasom added 20 points, while Jerick Cañada, who won the game for Bangkok City in their last outing against the Saigon Heat, finished with 15 points and 5 assists. Steven Thomas contributed 14 points and 15 rebounds for Hi-Tech Bangkok City who saw their winning streak broken after 7 games.
In their first road game of the season, the visiting Hi-Tech Bangkok City quickly showed why they currently have the lead atop the league standings as they unleashed a 9-0 scoring run to begin the game. Chris Charles scored 7 of his 20 points in the 1st Quarter while Wutipong Dasom added 6 points. The Slingers, meanwhile, struggled on the offensive end as they were only able to convert 3 of 21 field goal attempts. With the first quarter in the books, Bangkok City led 16-7 over the Slingers.
The Slingers quickly came back though with a 12-2 run on their own courtesy of Wong Wei Long, who scored 7 straight points, and Lowhorn who scored 5 points in that stretch, that gave their team their first lead in the game with 6:01 left to play in the second quarter. After a Dasom basket, Lowhorn’s 3 pointer put the Slingers back up, 24-21, that cancelled the deadlock. A floater from Wei Long and a Han Bin 3 pointer further extended the lead to 6, 29-23 with 1:15 before halftime. Vergara’s connected with Lowhorn on an alley-oop play that further extended the Slingers lead to 8. At halftime, they were up over Hi-tech 34-25.
Kyle Jeffers, the only World Import who has played with the same team in 5 seasons in the ASEAN Basketball League, went down at the 6:54 mark in the 3rd Quarter. He was brought out of the arena in a stretcher. Early diagnosis from the team’s physician was a dislocated ankle.
The Thai squad slowly cut the Slingers’ lead in the 3rd Quarter by taking advantage of the the injured Jeffers and the foul troubled Russel Low. Hi-Tech attacked the paint upon noticing that the Slingers’ were missing a big man to protect the rim. Cañada and Dasom combined for 12 points in the quarter that saw their deficit cut to 3 points. After the third quarter, Slingers’ were up 51-48.
Steven Thomas took advantage of the mismatch the Slingers’ defense threw and scored 6 straight points to lead Hi-Tech in an 8-0 run to open the 4th Quarter that saw the visiting team reclaiming the lead 56-51 with 7:28 to go. Lowhorn had other plans though as he scored 10 of his game high 35 points in the last 3 minutes of the 4th Quarter, including his game tying three pointer.
In overtime, Al Vergara, who finished the game with 11 points and 9 assists, gave the Slingers the lead with a layup before Dasom tied it up at 68 all with his points from the charity line. Wu Qingde found himself all alone under the Slingers’ basket as he converted on a follow up from a Lowhorn miss. Dasom though made another 2 free throws on the other end that saw the game deadlocked at 70.
With the Slingers up 77-72 with 17 seconds left in the game, Hi-Tech’s Thomas converted on a shot from behind the arc and fished a foul from Vergara. Thomas missed his free throw though that could have further trimmed the Slingers’ lead. A Delvin Goh turnover off an inbound play gave the ball back to Hi-Tech Bangkok City. Down 2 points and with 15 seconds left, Hi-Tech’s Jerick Cañada also turned the ball over while driving to the basket, then committed a foul on Wei Long, who split his charities for the final score of 78-75.
The JobStreet.com Singapore Slingers, Singapore’s first and only professional basketball team, go on the road and play against the Indonesia Warriors on Wednesday, September 3, at the BritAma Arena in Jakarta, then head over to Ho Chi Minh City to play the Saigon Heat on Friday, September 12, at the CIS Arena. The Slingers next home game will be on Friday, September 19, at the OCBC Arena, against Hi-Tech Bangkok City. All road games of the Slingers can be watched on SuperSports Arena and via online streaming on YouTube.com/ABL.
Wong Wei Long finished with 15 points and held his own against Hi-Tech’s Jerick Cañada
Box Scores:
JobStreet.com Singapore Slingers 78 – Lowhorn 35, Wei Long 16, Vergara 11, Han Bin 6, Jeffers 4, Qingde 4, Delvin 2, Russel 0, Desmond 0.
Hi-Tech Bangkok City 75 – Charles 20, Dasom 20, Cañada 15, Thomas 14, Jaisanuk 6, Wongsawangtham 0, Lakhan 0, Piroon 0, Ghogar 0, Lertlaaokul 0.
Quarter Scores: 7-16, 34-25, 51-48, 66-66, 78-75.
