KT wins 75-68 in a close match against Korea Gas Corporation, which had only one foreign player.
DB defeated Hyundai Mobis, who made 16 mistakes, 81-75.
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Velangel of Korea Gas Corporation |
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Eui-jin = Professional basketball team Suwon KT advanced to the finals of the KBL Cup after defeating Daegu Korea Gas Corporation, which tried to make up for its weakness in height with speed and activity.
KT defeated Korea Gas Corporation 75-68 in the semifinals of the 2024 KBL Cup held at Jecheon Gymnasium in North Chungcheong Province on the 12th.
KT will play its final match against Wonju DB for the championship trophy at the same venue at 2pm on the 13th.
On this day, KT’s ‘height’ and Korea Gas Corporation’s ‘speed’ were in direct conflict.
Korea Gas Corporation, which used the tactic of having three guards on the court at the same time, performed well against KT, the ‘big fish’ that advanced to the championship game last season, even though foreign player Yushu Ndoye had not yet joined, but failed to advance to the finals.
They were unable to completely overcome their rebound (25-45) disadvantage.
Korea Gas Corporation, which faced KT with an all-out pressure defense from the beginning of the game, led 43-42 in the first half.
Although they were greatly outgunned by 12-21 in rebounds, Korea Gas Corporation’s guard team consisting of Jeong Seong-woo, Sam Joseph Belangel, and Kim Nak-hyeon succeeded in blocking the opponent’s main gun, Heo Hoon.
Under strong pressure from former teammate Jeong Seong-woo, who transferred from KT, Heo Hoon scored only 2 points in the first half.
Korea Gas Corporation was ahead 17-14 in the third quarter and expected victory.
However, KT’s concentration shined at the end of the fourth quarter, when the game was determined.
3 minutes and 30 seconds before the end of the game, Shawn Hammons scored a goal to lead KT to a 67-66 lead, but Andrew Nicholson immediately hit a stepback shot in front of Hammons, allowing Korea Gas Corporation to come back.
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KT’s Heo Hoon |
But KT showed strength again. Two minutes before the end, Ha Yoon-ki regained the lead with a mid-range shot, and Han Hee-won scored just below the goal to take the lead by three points.
One minute before the end, Mun Jung-hyun’s tenacious defense caused Nicholson’s difficult 3-pointer to miss the rim, and Heo Hoon, who had been quiet throughout the game, overcame Jeong Seong-woo’s defense and succeeded in a mid-range shot to seal the game.
Moon Jeong-hyun led the way in KT’s victory, scoring 17 points and 10 rebounds. Hammonds also added 18 points and 12 rebounds.
At Korea Gas Corporation, Nicholson worked hard, scoring 27 points, and Belangel scored 20 points.
Previously, in the other semifinal, DB defeated Ulsan Hyundai Mobis, who struggled by making 16 errors, 81-75.
DB took a big lead in the first half, 46-31, with Lee Seon Albano, last season’s regular league MVP, and transfer student Lee Kwan-hee scoring 10 points each.
Hyundai Mobis’ foreign player Sean Long showed concentration by taking 8 shots in the first half and succeeding in 7, but mistakes hindered him.
There were 12 errors in the first half alone, with the guards, including point guard Han Ho-bin (3), giving up the right to attack with unsophisticated passes.
Hyundai Mobis, who regrouped at halftime, launched a counterattack in the third quarter.
Hyundai Mobis, who found stability with veteran forward Ham Ji-hoon taking charge of the game, scored 28 points in the third quarter and trailed 59-65 at the end of the quarter.
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Professional basketball DB players |
Hyundai Mobis continued to chase in the fourth quarter with Lee Woo-seok and Long at the center, and 1 minute and 29 seconds before the end of the game, Long succeeded in scoring under the goal through a 1-on-1 attack against Kim Jong-gyu, and Kim Kuk-chan even made a fast break layup to make it 75-77. .
DB won 16 rebounds in the 4th quarter alone and showed an overwhelming advantage in height over Hyundai Mobis, who had only 7, but the perimeter was silent, with Kim Hoon, who played as a shooter, missing all 4 3-pointers, allowing them to chase.
The player who came forward to solve DB’s problem was Albano. Albano led the team to victory by hitting a mid-range shot in front of Han Ho-bin 45 seconds before the end and repeatedly peeling off Hyundai Mobis’ pressure defense.
In DB, Albano, who recorded 15 points and 7 assists, as well as Kim Jong-gyu (16 points), Lee Kwan-hee (12 points), and Robert Carter (11 points) played evenly. Starting center Chinanu Onuaku also grabbed 12 rebounds and defended himself against Long.
At Hyundai Mobis, Long played hard, scoring 28 points. Lee Woo-seok also scored 17 points through fast breaks and outside shots, but was unable to lead the team to victory.
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Sean Long looks sad |
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