Under 19 Boys Basketball Grizzlies Win the 2018 SSBBL Championship!!
In a best of 3 series, the Gubei Grizzlies dominated game 1 by a score of 57-46 in front of their home crowd. The atmosphere was electric and the boys certainly benefited from the support. Game 2 of the championship took place at Guanghua’s home gym this past Tuesday, January 23. The pressure was on and there was tension in the air. Guanghua knew they had to win in order to force a game 3, and with the support of their fans were confident to do so. Unfortunately for them, the Grizzlies wasted no time proving that they were the superior team. By the end of the first quarter the score was 22-8, and Gubei would never look back after a strong start. The final score was 74-55, and once the final buzzer sounded to end the game the players swarmed the middle of the court and threw their arms up in celebration. A small dedicated group of students and teachers from Gubei who made the journey to show their support of the team could be heard chanting “Grizzlies, Grizzlies, Grizzlies!! This was the first year that the Gubei Grizzlies were welcomed into the league and against several obstacles ( e.g. all away games) they were able to accomplish the unthinkable and win the championship.
Austin Yan
Senior players and starters for the Grizzlies; Austin Yan, Victor Wang, and Alec Hadden controlled the flow of the game and truly showed the heart of this unified team. Despite Austin Yan dealing with double coverage for the entire game, he was still able to score 17 points and grab 12 rebounds proving why he was a league MVP candidate. Victor added 16 points of his own and Alec scored 14 points along with an impressive 10 rebounds. Throughout the season, Alec has shown a ferocious and unstoppable attack towards the basket earning him the nickname “Mr. Muscle”. In regards to defensive standouts, playing in his final season at Gubei, Allen Su showed true grit by playing man to man defense on their top player for both championship games. Coach Howe added, “the dynamic of game 1 shifted in our favor thanks to Allen’s physical and persistent defensive play” and went on to say “constant pressure on a top player will wear them down and make their legs tired enough to affect the accuracy of their shot, and that’s exactly what Allen did.”
When asked what he thought of the Grizzlies season overall, Coach Howe had this to say, “This was the most challenging season I have experienced as a coach. Our student athletes have to be masters of time management, because they attend an IB school that is very demanding academically. Also, several of our team members are involved in music and performing arts productions throughout the season. We had several games where only 6 or 8 players could show up and they would have to play positions they were not familiar with, which is not an easy thing to do in varsity basketball. When the playoffs started and all the testing was over, we finally had our complete team together and we just clicked on all aspects of the game. I am so proud of what these players have accomplished, because I know how much hard work and time was dedicated into becoming a championship level team. Passion, enthusiasm and a positive mentality are essential characteristics of individuals that are committed to success. I will do my part to spread that message further here at Gubei.”
A HUGE congratulations to Coach Howe and the U19 Boys Basketball Grizzlies for winning the first league championship trophy ever at Gubei Campus. It was an amazing season and a great boost for the athletics program, which has been building momentum over the past year. This is another big step forwards for Gubei in developing a sports culture that is heavily supported and built to survive for the long run. Great things are happening hear, and the buzz of excitement is only getting louder. Go Grizzlies!!!
Vote: That’s Shanghai Sports Awards – U18s Coach
Danny Howe – SUIS GB (Basketball)
Vote: That’s Shanghai Sports Awards – U18s Personality
Jerome Soh – SUIS GB (Judo)
Vote: That’s Shanghai Sports Awards – U18s Team
GB Judo Squad – SUIS GB