Jung Sun-min opened the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games with a win.
The South Korean women’s national basketball team, led by head coach Jung Sun-min, defeated Thailand 90-56 on Sunday in the first game of the women’s basketball Group C at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China.
It was a strong start to the tournament for South Korea. The team will face North Korea on Sept. 29 and Chinese Taipei on Oct. 1 as they look to advance in the tournament.
The Asian Games will feature 12 nations, including South Korea, China, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Japan, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North Korea and Thailand. The teams will be divided into three groups, A, B, and C, and will compete in a pool play format, with the first and second place finishers from each group advancing to the quarterfinals. The top three teams will also qualify for the quarterfinals.
Korea Women’s Basketball has reached the top four in the Asian Cup four times (1978 Bangkok, 1990 Beijing, 1994 Hiroshima, 2014 Incheon). At the most recent edition, the team reached the final as a unified North-South team at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, only to finish as runners-up in a game that was marred by poor officiating. Here in Hangzhou, the Koreans are looking to win their fifth gold medal in nine years and first since 2014.
South Korea came out firing on all cylinders from the start. Park Ji-soo opened the scoring with a layup, followed by a fastbreak layup from Kim Dan-bi and back-to-back three-pointers from Kang Yi-eul.
Thailand continued to fight back, but struggled to break through Korea’s aggressive switch defense. Thailand’s first field goal came with 4:20 left in the first quarter. Lee Kyung-eun’s jumper, back-to-back baskets by Park Ji-soo, and a three-pointer by Kang Yi-eul gave Korea a 25-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Korea’s offense didn’t slow down. Jin An joined the scoring streak, while Park Ji-hyun and Lee So-hee continued to find the rim. Lee Hae-ran also contributed with a jumper. Thailand was outmuscled by Korea in every aspect, including skill and height. The first half ended with Korea leading 47-18 thanks to Park Ji-soo’s performance under the basket and Kang Yul’s outside shooting.
The game didn’t change in the third quarter. South Korea continued to pressure Thailand with a strong full-court press, which resulted in points. Park Ji-soo kept Thailand’s defense in check, while Park Ji-hyun and Kang Yi-eul’s fingertips remained hot. In the middle of the game, Lee Hae-ran also made her presence felt inside and out. The third quarter ended with a 78-33 lead for Korea, who didn’t slow down their offense until the very end.온라인바카라
The fourth quarter was no different, but it wasn’t enough for Korea. The Koreans, who had rotated their bench in an effort to rest their players, gave Thailand a run for their money midway through the quarter. It had nothing to do with the game, but it was definitely something to point out. However, it was a good thing that Shin Ji-hyun, who was not feeling well before the tournament, got some playing time and got a feel for the game. South Korea won their first match of the Asian Games in a big way.
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