The JobStreet.com Singapore Slingers faced the San Miguel Beermen in the second match-up for the ABL Hoops Fest Saigon 2013.
The Slingers kept it close through the first three quarters, but in the end, the unrelenting Beermen pulled away for a 73-53 win. Neither team had a good showing from beyond the arch, with the Beermen shooting 15 percent from three to 13 percent for the Slingers. But the Beermen’s strong paint presence on both sides of the court proved too much for the Slingers in the end. San Miguel’s Chris Banchero led all scorers with 19 points, while Slinger’s newcomer, Rashaad Singleton, scored a team high 16 points for Singapore. This game also marked the return from injury of Brian Williams, who turned out an efficient 15 points on 9 shots from the field.
The Beermen pulled away first after an 8-2 run that earned them the 14 to 6 lead in the first five minutes of the game having made six of 9 shot attempts from the field. Slingers fought their way back into the game, getting to within five points with two minutes remaining in the quarter and trailed by just four points heading into the second quarter at 14 to 17.
Then a basket by Desmond Oh at the 6:28 point of the second quarter brought the Slingers within just one at 21-22. Punctuated by a Desmond Oh three pointer, the Slingers managed to keep it close for the remainder of the period, closing out the half trailing the Beermen 33 to 36.
Brian Williams got the second half rolling with a putback layup, as the Beermen started the third quarter on a 6-0 run and opened up a 9 point lead. Not to be deterred, the Slingers fought back with a healthy diet of free throws, eventually pulling to within three points. The Slingers didn’t score a field goal until five minutes into the period, breaking their drought with a powerful two-handed Singleton dunk. An acrobatic Chris Banchero layup put the Beermen up 47-41 with two minutes to go, and the period ended with the Beermen leading the Slingers 49-45.
The fourth quarter belonged to the Beermen. After keeping it close through three, the Slingers failed to match the physical play of the Beermen in the fourth. Ratcheting up the defensive intensity, the Beermen took over in the first three minutes of the final period, jumping out to a 12 point lead. After a trio of J. Williams blocks and an emphatic Taulava jam, the game was all but over for the Slingers. The Beermen finished the game strong, with the final score 73-53 in favor of the Beermen.
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