KOR / JPN – Korea build on early blitz
TIANJIN (FIBA Asia Championship) - Korea outscored Japan 13-2 midway through the first quarter and powered their way to a 95-74 win to open their campaign in Group A on Thursday. Korea the only team to have entered the semifinals in all the 24 previous editions of the FIBA Asia Championship, next meet unfancied Sri Lanka. Japan, a quarterfinalist when ...
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TIANJIN (FIBA Asia Championship) - Korea outscored Japan 13-2 midway through the first quarter and powered their way to a 95-74 win to open their campaign in Group A on Thursday.
Korea the only team to have entered the semifinals in all the 24 previous editions of the FIBA Asia Championship, next meet unfancied Sri Lanka. Japan, a quarterfinalist when they hosted the 2007 edition in Tokushima, will take on Philippines.
Korea surely held the upper hand right from the word go, although Japan kept clicking on their heels.
All only till Korea coach Hur Jae inducted his giant centre Ha Seung-jin.
The Jun Ju KCC centre had an immediate effect on the proceedings converting an offensive rebound. More importantly his 221-cm presence set the cat among the pigeons in the Japanese defence and Korea pulled away from a seemingly equal 9-6 position to a dominant 22-8 lead.
Yang Heejong scored nine of his game-high 23 points during that Korean blitz and Ha added four.
Korea built on that to lead 27-12 at the end of the first quarter and their lead only grew as the game progressed.
Ha converted all his five field attempts in his 12 points, along with pulling down four boards.
Oh Sekeun kept the scoreboard ticking for Korea with 13 points, 11 of them in the second half.
Daiji Yamada came off the bench and led the scoring for Japan, with 23 points.
S Mageshwaran
FIBA Asia