It was a match that showed the characteristics of a strong team. Both teams played to their strengths.
Seoul SK moved into a tie for third place with Suwon KT (14-8) in the 2023-2024 Korean Basketball League (KBL) standings with an 80-70 victory over Goyang Sono at Goyang Gymnasium on Nov. 21.
Ahn Young-jun, who has been playing well this season, led the way with 21 points and three rebounds, including four three-pointers. His offense was also on full display, as he drew foul after foul on the offensive end and through strong forward pressure.
Sono was led by Chinanu Onoaku with 20 points and 12 rebounds and Jeon Sung-hyun with 18 points, including five 3-pointers, but could not overcome the absence of Lee Jung-hyun. The turnovers were largely due to SK’s strong frontcourt pressure, with handlers giving the ball away one after another.
At the same time, Wonju DB snapped a two-game losing streak with an 85-72 victory over Korea Gas Corporation on the road.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak and DB improved to 19-5, two games ahead of second-place Changwon LG (16-6). KOGAS, on the other hand, saw its winning streak come to an end after being stopped by DB.
DB used their height to their advantage on the night to harass their opponents. Kang Sang-jae led the way with 23 points and 11 rebounds. In addition, Jeff Widdie grabbed 10 rebounds and Dedrick Lawson and Kim Jong-kyu grabbed eight, totaling 49 rebounds to KOGAS’ 22.
His height was especially impressive in offensive situations. DB grabbed 18 offensive rebounds alone. Andrew Nicholson’s 22 points and five rebounds weren’t enough to overcome the height deficit. KOGAS’s homegrown talent Lee Dae-heon was also disappointing with five points and four rebounds.DB took a 22-18 lead in the first quarter and extended their lead in the second (26-19) and third (26-19).
The fourth quarter was also steady without the main players, but KOGAS’ lack of 3-pointers ended the game 72-85. Kang Sang-jae (23 points, 11 rebounds), Lawson (21 points, 8 rebounds), Kim Jong-kyu (11 points, 8 rebounds), and Weedie (8 points, 10 rebounds) played evenly.
