The MGC New Life (MGCNL) juniors basketball team welcomed 2023 with a spectacular performance in a homecourt matchup against the Grace Christian College (GCC) team.
The New Lifers came back from the Christmas break re-energized and successfully defended their homecourt while dominating GCC, 76-56, in front of the spirited cheers of the MGCNL community in their afternoon skirmish against the Graceans last January 26.
MGCNL’s victory, which put their record up 2-4, was powered by all-around performances from co-captain Karl Yue, forward Trey Chua, and guards Maddox Lim and Adam Uy.
That Thursday afternoon, students, parents, and teachers quickly filled the bleachers of the MGCNL Gym, eager to support the New Lifers getting back into action. The New Lifers came focused and started warming up for the afternoon clash.
Entering the matchup, MGCNL was missing the presence of captain Enzo Chua who was not cleared to play, due to a non-COVID illness. Despite his absence, the captain still reminded his teammates to stay calm and continue to give their best.
Kicking off the tipoff period, MGCNL grabbed an early lead, at 5-3, behind a solid Karl Yue finish and a smooth Maddox Lim jumper. GCC was not rattled and quickly sank a three-pointer to gain the lead back and continued to push forward with three made free throws and a jump shot.
The New Lifers went into the foul penalty early, yet they could not be stopped from sinking shots of their own. With around two minutes left in the first quarter, MGCNL tied the ballgame at 11-11.
After a split pair of free throws from GCC, Adam Uy answered back with another jump shot to put MGCNL up by one. After yet another series of free throws from Grace, MGCNL ended the quarter on a high note, finishing with a corner three by Lim to put his team up 16-14.
Heading into the second quarter, the New Lifers were determined to play better defense, push the ball forward, and play more aggressively. The coaching staff wanted to see more patience, confidence, and composure from the players in the succeeding quarters.
The game was quickly tied by a Grace jump shot at 16-16, to start off the quarter. The New Lifers went straight into business, answering right away with a 13-2 run.
Co-captain Yue led the charge, pushing the ball forward to set up Lim and Uy for multiple jumpers and a three. Just as MGCNL started to take control of the game, GCC flipped a switch and got back in the ballgame with a fiery 8-0 run, cutting the lead down to only three points, at 29-26.
After a quick timeout by the MGCNL coaching staff, the New Lifers regained their momentum behind an Adrian Tan three-pointer. They finished the quarter in fantastic form, finishing fastbreaks exceptionally well at the rim, pushing the lead up by ten points before halftime, at 42-28.
As the second half went underway, the New Lifers were a force to be reckoned with, continuing right where they left off, opening with an unstoppable 16-0 run.
Whilst GCC had a shooting drought for nearly six minutes, the New Lifers had an all-around performance. MGCNL put on a defensive showcase, forcing the Graceans to take faulty shots and turnovers while bringing the energy to offense and scoring the ball at an efficient rate.
After a strong finish by Uy, MGCNL was put ahead by thirty points, their largest lead of the game, at 60-30. The New Lifers remained in control for the rest of the night, ending with a twenty-point lead, at 76-56.
MGCNL was led by Trey Chua, who performed exceptionally on both ends of the court, contributing 10 points, 10 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists while grabbing 3 steals and 3 blocks. Uy was the top-scorer for MGCNL with 16 points, all from the three-point line. Tan and Lim also had 10 points apiece, being a crucial part of MGCNL’s offense and defense. The New Lifers had eleven players on the scoreboard while the New Lifer’s bench showed its versatility, producing 32 bench points.
The MGCNL basketball team owed a part of its success to the unending support of the MGCNL crowd. Throughout all 40 minutes of the ballgame, the support of the crowd never ceased to stop. From the intense defense chants to fire up the players, to MVP chants for Justin Cheng, the atmosphere was electric.
MGCNL - GCC Scores:
MGCNL 76 – Uy 16, Tan A. 14, Lim 10, Chua T. 10, Yue 8, Tan J. 5, Cheng J.K. 4, Qua 3, Cheng J.C. 2, Lo 2, Sotingco 2
GCC 56 – Tan 20, Garcia 19, Tang 7, Lee 6, Co 4
Quarters: 16-14, 42-28, 64-38, 76-56
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