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SINGAPORE \u2013 Despite an 11.5cm height disadvantage, underdogs Singapore produced an upset win over Swiss side Lugano in a 3×3.EXE Super Premier Group B game on March 28 to progress to the quarter-finals. <\/p>\n
The hosts will be hoping to extend their giant-killing run at the Sengkang Grand Mall on March 29, when they will take on Japan\u2019s Utsunomiya Brex at 2.40pm for a place in the semi-finals. Admission is free.<\/p>\n
Touted as the world\u2019s largest professional 3×3 basketball league system, the Super Premier competition features a 12-team field of play-off qualifiers and invited guest teams. The three-stop series will conclude in Singapore, which is hosting the two-day competition for the first time. <\/p>\n
Making their tournament debut at the first stop in Japan earlier in the month, the national men\u2019s 3×3 team had made a winning start by beating Japanese side Minakami Town 21-16, before losing 21-11 to Thailand\u2019s RN Sport and 21-8 to Utsunomiya in the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n
In the second stop in Thailand, they lost both their group games to Japan\u2019s Hachinohe Dime (18-13) and Lugano (22-12).<\/p>\n
But Singapore \u2013 comprising captain Nur Aufa Emil Putra, Ching Zhen Yu, Xu Duanyang and Liam Blakney \u2013 made full use of their home advantage to record a stunning 18-17 win over Lugano on March 28, despite on average being 11.5cm shorter than the Japan-leg champions, whose players average 1.98m in stature. <\/p>\n
In the David versus Goliath affair, Singapore played solid defence against their more physically imposing opponents. Ching stood out with nine points, including two two-pointers to help his team establish an 18-14 lead. Lugano reduced the deficit to 18-17 with 15 seconds remaining in the 10-minute match, but could not find another basket.<\/p>\n
In their second game, Singapore suffered a 21-19 overtime defeat by Japan\u2019s Shonan Seaside, who fell 22-9 to Lugano and failed to progress to the last eight as they had the least average points in Group B.<\/p>\n
Displaying the high standards they have set for themselves, Nur Aufa said: \u201cWe played well, especially in the first game, but fatigue got to us in the second game, and we didn\u2019t execute at the end. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe missed too many free throws, too many twos and lay-ups. We missed three game-winning shots. That\u2019s unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Head coach Lazar Rasic believes players will only gain from this pain, so that \u201cthey remember the moment and next time recognise the situation on the court\u201d.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Singapore men\u2019s Under-23 team suffered two narrow Group C defeats, losing 21-20 to Australia\u2019s Brisbane 3×3 before falling 20-18 in overtime to Japan\u2019s Zethree Ishikawa. They failed to win any of their six games across the three stops.<\/p>\n
Rasic, who also oversees the Singapore U-23s, noted: \u201cToday we had two tough losses, which is still an improvement compared to the last two stops. Definitely, they are reacting. It\u2019s just that in crucial moments, we are soft.\u201d<\/p>\n
There has been a fresh wave of optimism around Singapore 3×3 basketball following a surprise silver at the 2025 SEA Games<\/span><\/a>, when the men\u2019s team stunned powerhouses from the Philippines in the group stage. <\/p>\n Their men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams also qualified for the July 23-Aug 2 Commonwealth Games<\/span><\/a> and are in the running to compete at the Sept 19-Oct 4 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.<\/p>\n After the conclusion of the Super Premier series, local 3×3 basketball fans can still savour more top-level action and support the Singapore teams at the April 1-5 Fiba 3×3 Asia Cup and the April 11-12 Fiba 3×3 World Cup Qualifier that will be held at The Kallang\u2019s OCBC Square.<\/p>\n Dive into all the sporting action and trends in Singapore with ST\u2019s\u00a0weekly newsletter.<\/u><\/b><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n