TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — High School Basketball League championships were held at the Taipei Arena on Sunday, with Songshan High School winning the boy's championship and Taipei First Girls' High School taking the girl’s crown.
Songshan’s 90:82 win over Nanshan High School was its first title in seven years. Songshan was led by point guard Liu Cheng-en (劉程恩), who became the first player in finals history to record a triple-double with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists, earning him the boy's final MVP, per CNA.
Songshan also benefitted from a strong offensive effort from Jayden Jones (查傑), who contributed 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Liu Ting-kuan (劉廷寬), who scored 22 points. The game was close, with Nanshan sharpshooter Huang Han-sheng (黃瀚陞) scoring 18 in the first half, putting his team ahead 51:45. Nanshan continued to lead into the final quarter.
Like much of its season, Songshan was able to battle back and defeat Nanshan, earning its second victory in four meetings against Nanshan in the finals. The win was also the first championship for head coach Yeh Wei-chiao (葉韋喬).
Speaking to the media after the game, Liu said his triple-double was proof of his abilities but attributed the win to teamwork. "The most important thing is winning the championship. It is also a perfect end to my high school career."
As for the finals MVP award, Liu thanked his teammates for their contribution. "I want to thank my teammates for their help. I am also fighting for all of the short players out there, and I want to prove you do not need to be tall to achieve good results."
In the girls’ finals, held earlier in the day, the defending champions, Taipei First Girls' High School, defeated Yongren High School 96:84, the school’s first consecutive championships. Head coach Luo Yan-ping (駱燕萍) said after the game that she hopes for a third championship next year.
Taipei First Girls' High School rushed out to a 15-point lead in the first quarter through strong shooting. Although Yongren narrowed the gap several times, they were not able to overcome the early deficit, losing by 12 points, per UDN.
After the game, Luo said she was grateful to the coaching staff and the players who fought hard. "Although there were many ups and downs, they withstood the pressure and worked hard to win."
