Korea upset Belarus to reach Quarter-Finals

NANTES (2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - Korea put up a heroic performance on Wednesday to reach the Quarter-Finals of the 2016 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT).

Kang Ajeong led all scorers with 18 points, Kim Danbi added 17 to give her country a much-needed 66-65 win over Belarus. As a result, Group C contenders Belarus and Korea both advance to the Final Phase while Nigeria are eliminated. 

Anastasiya Verameyenka and Tatyana Troina combined for 29 points for Belarus, but the game belonged to Korea.

Turning Point: Verameyenka gave Belarus their only lead of the game at 65-64 with 2:36 left to play but Park Jisu responded with an excellent move inside to score the go-ahead and ultimately game-winning basket. Verameyenka missed a jumper with 26 seconds to go and the East Asians held on to keep alive their hopes of clinching one of the five places on offer for the Rio Olympics.   

Stats Don't Lie: Anatoli Buyalski's team trailed for 38 minutes and 3 seconds of the game. 

Game Hero: Seventeen-year-old Park Jisu showed impressive maturity. After getting her third foul midway through the second quarter,  the 1.95m center was needed to protect the paint against the Belarus twin towers of Verameyenka and Yelena Leuchanka. The teenager not only kept her composure but thrived in crunch time, hitting the game-winner.

The Bottom Line: Belarus stepped on the floor knowing that their place in the Quarter-Finals was almost guaranteed, but credit must be given to Korea who never gave up. The East Asians knew a defeat on the day would have them on a plane headed home on Thursday. As Kim Danbi admitted at the post-game press conference, France is a beautiful place to stay in for a while. 

FIBA