[서울=뉴스핌] Sports Reporter Jang Hwan-soo = Daegu Korea Gas Corporation defeated its rival <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2024/01/kwon-eun-bi-to-perform-celebratory-stage-at-2023-2024-kbl-all-star-game/" title="Kwon Eun Bi to Perform Celebratory Stage at 2023-2024 KBL All-Star Game”>Goyang Sono, which is competing for the top ranking, by 34 points and won seven games in a row after losing in the opening game.
Korea Gas Corporation, the sole leader, invited Sono to its home court, Daegu Gymnasium, on the 8th and won 99-65. On the other hand, Sono, who could have tied for the lead with Korea Gas Corporation if he won that day, fell one place to third place with 5 wins and 3 losses.
Andrew Nicholson, Korea Gas Corporation. [사진=KBL] |
Sono coach Kim Seung-gi tried to limit the speed of Korea Gas Corporation, which uses the ‘three guard’, by inserting the shortest guard at 172cm, Min Ki-nam, instead of ace Lee Jeong-hyun. However, Min Ki-nam was unable to tie up Kim Nak-hyun and Sam Josef Belangel, and did not score a single point in attack. Lee Jung-hyun, who was brought in late, only scored 1 point and 1 rebound.
Korea Gas Corporation took a 10-point lead by hitting five 3-pointers in the first quarter alone. In the second quarter, when defender Jeong Seong-woo played, Sono Lee Jeong-hyun and Lee Jae-do were tied up tightly. In the end, Korea Gas Corporation broke its will to chase the opponent by taking a 54-26, 28-point lead in the first half alone.
In the third quarter, Sono, who played an active defense by pressing from the halfway line, caught up and took an 11-point lead. However, Korea Gas Corporation confirmed victory by widening the score gap again with Andrew Nicholson scoring 5 points in a row at the start of the 4th quarter and Kim Nak-hyun hitting a 3-pointer.
Korea Gas Corporation performed evenly with five players, including Nicholson (22 points), Nak-hyun Kim, Belangel (15 points), Jeong-hoon Kwak (11 points), and Seung-min Shin (10 points), scoring double-digit scores. In Sono, Jaedo Lee worked hard, scoring 22 points.
Woo-seok Lee of Hyundai Mobis. [사진=KBL] |
Wonju DB (1 win, 7 losses), which took first place in the last regular season and first place in this season’s cup competition, lost 70-79 in an away game against Ulsan Hyundai Mobis (5 wins, 3 losses), suffering its 7th consecutive loss after winning the opening game.
On this day, DB was unable to escape from its slump, committing 16 turnovers, including 7 errors in the first quarter alone. DB, who entered the 4th quarter trailing by 10 points, caught up to 61-63 thanks to the performance of Ethan Albano, who scored 9 points in 3 minutes, but lacked concentration at a critical moment.
DB lost the chance to chase after Yoo Hyun-jun and Lee Kwan-hee made consecutive mistakes, and Hyundai Mobis won by 9 points with Lee Woo-seok and Seo Myung-jin scoring.
For Hyundai Mobis, Sean Long played a key role in the victory with 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Lee Woo-seok scored 19 points and 7 rebounds.