KT, after a close match, defeated KOGAS and advanced to the finals of the cup competition… Face-to-face with DB for the championship [IS 제천]

Suwon KT, a professional basketball team, advanced to the finals of the cup competition by defeating Daegu Korea Gas Corporation.

KT defeated Korea Gas Corporation 75-68 in the semifinals (semi-finals) of the 2024 KBL Cup held at Jecheon Gymnasium in North Chungcheong Province on the 12th. It has been two years since KT reached the cup finals in 2022 (winning the championship).

The opponent who will compete for the championship is Wonju DB, who advanced to the finals by defeating Ulsan Hyundai Mobis 81-75 in the semifinals in the previous game. DB advanced to the finals of the cup competition for the first time in three years since 2021. The finals between KT and DB will be held at the same location at 2pm on the 13th.

The team that took the lead first was KT. After opening the game with Han Hee-won’s outside shot, they took the lead in the early stages with consecutive scores from Ray Hammons, Moon Jeong-hyun, and Ha Yoon-ki. Korea Gas Corporation also launched a counterattack with Kim Nak-hyeon’s outside gun, Andrew Nicholson, and Sam Josef Belangel at the forefront. In the first quarter, KT led 23-18.

The gap seemed to widen in the second quarter as KT, led by consecutive 3-pointers by Moon Jeong-hyun and Choi Chang-jin, ran away to 34-23. However, Korea Gas Corporation also ignited the chase with Jeong Seong-woo’s outside capture in the middle of the second quarter. Afterwards, Nicholson succeeded in both free throws and performed a one-man show that changed the atmosphere, including a dunk and a steal. It was Nicholson who turned the game around when they were down 35-36. In the end, Korea Gas Corporation led 43-42 in the first half.

The second half of the game was even more exciting. When KOGAS, which took the lead, ran away, KT did not collapse and immediately started chasing. When Ha Yoon-ki scored a comeback goal with 6 minutes and 31 seconds left in the third quarter, Korea Gas Corporation, led by Belangel and Jeong Seong-woo, turned the game around again. Afterwards, the two teams fought fiercely. With Belangel’s buzzer-beater thrown just before the end of the third quarter, the score was 60-56 in the third quarter, and KOGAS was ahead by four points.

The final 4 quarters where the finalists will be determined. Korea Gas Corporation took the lead first with the outer shell. Following Belangel, Kwak Jeong-hoon clenched his fist after successfully hitting a 3-pointer from the corner. Not to be outdone, KT also had Moon Seong-gon make a 2-point shot and an additional free throw, and Haynes made a layup after breaking through the bottom of the goal. They were down by only 1 point midway through the 4th quarter.

Hammonds broke the trend in which both teams were struggling to shoot and turned the game around, and this time, Nicholson responded, and the fierce battle continued with repeated comebacks. To set the tone, Nicholson and Moon Jung-hyun exchanged 3-point shots, but all came to nothing, so the intense flow was hardly broken.

KT won the game at the end of the game. After Ha Yoon-gi succeeded in scoring once again, Han Hee-won and Heo Hoon succeeded in scoring in succession while KOGAS’s attacks were repeatedly ineffective. KT’s lead is 73-68 with 34.3 seconds left. Korea Gas Corporation attempted to make a final reversal in the remaining time, but was unable to do so. After a fierce and close match, the game ended with KT winning and advancing to the finals.

For KT, Hammonds recorded a double-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists, and Moon Jung-hyun recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds. Ha Yoon-gi added 14 points and 6 rebounds, and Heo Hoon added 6 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

Korea Gas Corporation recorded 27 points and 9 rebounds, Belangel 20 points, and Jeong Seong-woo 9 points and 5 assists, but it was disappointed in the final concentration.

Reporter Kim Myeong-seok [email protected]