SHENZHEN (China) - Korea kept their Semi-Final hopes alive after showing Malaysia the door, 75-35, in a rousing conclusion to their Group Phase campaign in the FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup 2024, Wednesday at the Longhua Cultural and Sports Center.
Game heroes: Lee Gahyun and Jeong Hyun led the balanced attack with identical numbers of 12 points and 4 rebounds, posting an efficiency of at least 17 as well.
Yu Haeun came through with 11 points and 7 rebounds, as all 11 players utilized by Coach Kang Byungsoo contributed at least 2 points in the lopsided affair.
Turning point: Hyun and Lee Minji opened the second quarter with a triple each for a 26-14 lead and that would mark the start of the rout as Korea played much better all-around after suffering a harsh 85-52 defeat at the hands of Australia Tuesday.
They held the Malaysians to only 4 points in the fourth quarter while they produced 17 for a strong finish, enabling themselves to finish with a 2-1 card in Group A.
Stats don't lie: Seven-time gold medalists, Korea are looking to make its first Semis trip since 2018 after missing out in the 2022 edition in Bengaluru, India.
Malaysia, on the other hand, dropped to 0-3 as they remain in search of a win in their first Division A appearance after earning the promotion in 2022 as well.
FIBA