Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
PROPEL shrugged off a slow start to successfully retain the women's title in the YOU.C1000 Cup on Saturday.
They fended off D'Harith 61-52 in a matchup befitting of a final to complete a sweep of the six-team women's category at the BBA Court in Batu Bersurat.
Lim Guik Ting paced Propel with a game-high of 15 points while Vanessa Pang added 14.
On the other hand, Aannikah Stella topped the scoresheet with 18 points for D'Harith.
Gabrielle Chin added 13 and Trisha Valencia was the other in double figures with 10 in a losing effort.
D'Harith started the game with good intensity and scored the first eight points on the encounter.
Propel got on the scoreboard about four minutes in courtesy of Effie Lim.
D'Harith controlled the pace of the game to open up a 16-9 lead going into the second frame.
Propel clawed their way back into the game and Pang hit a three-pointer for their first lead at 20-18.
Neither team could gain any momentum with plenty of foul calls at both ends.
Chieng Hei Yien was aggressive in attacking the paint for D'Harith as they trailed 29-28 at the break.
Both sides traded baskets after the interval and the game remained neck-and-neck.
Chin converted a three-point play including a technical freethrow to keep D'Harith within 36-34.
Propel were ensured a two-possession advantage at the end of the third after Wardah Hj Me'raj beat the clock for a 46-40 lead.
Propel improved on their passing and a trey by Pang gave them their largest lead at 53-44 with 6:30 left to play.
D'Harith were not helped by their turnovers but with the backing of the crowd found their way back.
They picked up defensively and managed to stifle their opponents to trim the deficit to five.
Propel were rushing the ball up the floor instead of running the clock despite their lead.
To their relief, Pang found an open Rachael Lee to finish a layup to make it 58-50 with 40 seconds left.
Trisha knocked down two from the charity stripe at the other end to stay within striking distance.
Propel managed to run almost 18 seconds off the clock in the next possession before turning the ball over.
An unsportsmanlike foul was whistled in the process but Chieng missed both her freethrows.
With ball possession, Pang stripped the ball off Annikah for hoop and harm as she completed a three-point play just before the final buzzer to secure gold.
