Korea extend win streak to three with thrashing of India

WUHAN (2015 FIBA Asia Women's Championship) - Korea extended their winning streak to three games in Level I (Group A) of the 2015 FIBA Asia Women’s Championship, effectively thrashing India, 121-44, to end their group play.

Coach We Sung-Woo's team didn't waste any time, mounting a commanding 38-13 lead at the end of the first quarter that they would never relinquish.

Korea dominated nearly every facet of this game, outplaying their foes on both ends of the court. Korea won the battle of the boards (45-29), assists (35-9) and steals (27-3). Six players broke through the double-digit barrier, led by Kim Dan-Bi's 20 points. Youngster Park Ji-Su also impressed with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.

India, still reeling from a late game loss at the hands of Thailand on Tuesday, just couldn't find any rhythm in this game. Jeena Skaria was the only Indian player in double-figures with 15 points and 9 rebounds.

As of this writing, Korea will face either China or Chinese Taipei in the semifinals, while India are relegated to the qualifying round and are set to face upstart team Philippines.

Turning Point: Even from the first basket of the game courtesy of Lee Kyung-Eun, it was clear that Korea had the initiative and the drive to claim victory. Indeed, India never led in this game, allowing the lead to eventually balloon to the final deficit of 77 points.

Stats Don't Lie: Korea outclassed India in every way possible, but the turnover story is quite glaring. India committed 38 turnovers in the face of relentlessly aggressive defense from Korea, which produced 62 points off those Indian errors.

Game Hero: In a game with so many Korean players scoring heavily, it's difficult to singe out one player as the hero, but one cannot go wrong with Kim Dan-Bi, who certainly had her best game so far of the tournament. It was a sterling all-around effort from her as she added 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals to her account while also shooting 50% from the field. She epitomised Korea's efficient play.

The Bottom Line: This impressive three game run has given Korea enough momentum to really make a splash in the next round. Regardless of whomever they face, the Koreans will be hell to deal with. On the other hand, India didn't have mush to show for in this game, and they better pick it up unless they get relegated to Level II (Group B) at the end of this competition.

FIBA