SINGAPORE – The Singapore Slingers have been on four road games prior to their matchup against Mono Vampire at the OCBC Arena yesterday, and their homecoming did not turn out as expected.
Having come off four straight losses must have been a wake up call for last year’s runners-up as they finally caught a break after narrowly escaping the Slingers on their home soil, 81-79.
It was a back and forth opening frame with the two teams exchanging baskets immediately from the get-go as Mono got the early lead, 20-18. Mike Singletary, who received a one-game suspension owing to the unsportsmanlike action against Tanh Sang Dinh of Saigon Heat resulting in him sitting out versus the CLS Knights Indonesia, came out in attack mode as he tallied a double-double outing of 23 points and 14 rebounds.
The first three quarters were tightly contested as the biggest lead of either team was only seven points. The Singapore Slingers shot a better percentage from the field with 43%, but the Thailand-based squad banked on second chance points with 12 against Singapore’s five.
The Slingers were also the quicker team as they put up 34 fastbreak points compared to only 22 of Mono. What made the difference was the 3-point shooting of the visiting squad. They were able to sink ten triples out of 26 attempts while Singapore only shot 4 out of 12 attempts from beyond the arc.
The last sequence of the game was a neck-and-neck affair as Xavier Alexander tied the game at 76 apiece with 39 seconds left in the fourth quarter. In just a matter of seconds, Freddy Lish retaliated with a layup of his own. Jerran Young would be put to the test at the charity stripe but was able to sink only one. Alexander’s dunk would have gotten them the win if it were not for Jason Brickman’s clutch hands.
Brickman canned his last four free throws to snatch the victory. He put up 17 points and seven assists, while Singletary and Malcolm White each chipped in 23 points.
John Fields had another masterful performance as he tallied 27 points and eight rebounds. Alexander and Jerran Young combined for 35 points in a losing effort.
The Singapore Slingers will have until Saturday to regroup as they will be back on the road again to face the CLS Knights Indonesia on Sunday who are coming off back-to-back wins including a historic 22-triple performance against the Macau Black Bears.
SCORES:
Singapore Slingers – Fields (27), Alexander (19), Young (16), Liew (8), Goh (7), Low (2)
Mono Vampire – Singletary (23), White (23), Brickman (17), Lish (7), Chanthachon (4), Ananti (3), Apiromvilaichai (2), Sunthonsiri (2)
