Korea hold on for thrilling win over Japan
BANGKOK, Thailand (FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women 2016) - Korea proved why many considered them as favorites to win the Championship by beating Japan 70-64 in the closest game so far at FIBA Asia U1
BANGKOK, Thailand (FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women 2016) - Korea proved why many considered them as favorites to win the Championship by beating Japan 70-64 in the closest game so far at FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women 2016.
The result improves Korea’s record to 2-1, same as Japan who conceded their first defeat of the tournament.
Turning Point: Juna Umezawa fell into an early foul-trouble, Japan coach Hitoshi Takahashi decided to take her out. Korea cunningly took advantage of that to open up an 11 point lead, mainly by utilising Park Ji Su in the paint. The Akatsuki Five tried to muster a comeback in the second-half, but Korea made the right plays down the stretch to hold on to the win.
Stats Don't Lie: Japan had an off night from the field. They shot 27% compared to Korea’s 44%. In addition, Korea’s tight inside defense limited Japan to scoring only 10 points in the paint compared to their 42 points.
Game Hero: Park Ji Su had a very good game for Korea, but the game hero accolade will surely go to Park Jihyun, who scored 5 of her 19 points late in the 4th quarter to put the game beyond Japan’s reach. She also collected 11 rebounds.
The Bottom Line: Korea’s loss to China on the opening day was something like a reality check for coach Young Min Kim, who realized the mistakes and made amends in the following games. For Japan, the loss will be tough to swallow but they have to recover fast before their crunch game against eternal China tomorrow.
FIBA