YMY's effort to end its 11-game losing streak by sending Taiwan Beer to the free throw line early and often nearly worked.
But the beermen's combined 37-for-47 (79 percent) shooting from the charity stripe proved too much for YMY to overcome as it dropped its 12th straight in an 88-85 decision in Taiwan's Super Basketball League on Saturday at the Taipei Physical Education College Gymnasium.
The game plan for YMY was simple: deny Taiwan Beer easy baskets, even if it meant fouling them. Make Taiwan Beer beat them from the free throw line.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SBL
And the brew crew did exactly that, with Lin "The Beast" Chih-jeh leading the way by sinking 19 of 23 free throw attempts (both season-highs) on a 31-point night to come away with the narrow win.
Shooting guard Hong Chih-shan's 4-for-5 shooting from behind the three-point line actually helped YMY take a 38-36 lead in a hard-fought first half, with the frontcourt doing its part in claiming a 20-14 rebounding advantage.
But YMY's three-point attack was not as effective in the second half, with Chung Wei-hong and Chien Jia-hong missing key shots late in the game.
Point guard Chen Shih-nian also had a big day for Taiwan Beer, with four three-pointers en route to a 19-point night, followed by center Ha Hsiao-yuan's 12 points and nine rebounds.
Coach Liu Jung-chin's heated argument with the referee on a call that resulted in a technical foul for YMY midway through the final quarter was the turning point in the game, as YMY lost out in a six-point turnaround that cost them the lead at that point.
Antelopes 95, Hunters 76
Yang Yu-ming's 17-point effort where the ETTV Antelopes could do no wrong sent the Videoland Hunters packing early, 95-76.
Poor shooting during the second quarter limited the Hunters to just nine points in the quarter, allowing the Antelopes to erase a five-point, first-quarter deficit and take a double-digit lead for good.
Even though the Hunters boosted their offensive effort by scoring 32 points in the fourth quarter, the 33 points that they allowed in the quarter made it impossible to mount a comeback.
Tigers 91, Bank of Taiwan 70
The Dacin Tigers made it two in a row after beating Taiwan Beer in a last-second triumph on Friday. The Tigers trounced the Bank of Taiwan 91-70.
The bankers were caught shorthanded, with several key players suffering from food poisoning the night before the game, making coach Wei Cheng-ming's job to field a competitive lineup impossible.
After playing the Tigers close in the first half that ended with the Tigers leading 42-32, the bankers were unable sustain their intensity.
The Tigers managed to put the game away by doubling up on the bankers in the third quarter (28-14), with top scorer Tien Lei leading the attack with eight points in the quarter and 22 for the game.
Friday night's hero, Chang Chih-fong (credited with the game-winner against Taiwan Beer), also had a big game with 19 points and three assists.
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