Chinese Culture University nipped a two-game losing skid with a 70-60 win over National Kaohsiung Normal University in the preliminary rounds of the annual University Basketball Association (UBA) tournament on Saturday to even its record at 2-2.
The runners-up from last season’s final regained their winning form against the future teachers from Kaohsiung with a strong performance from forward Wu Fong-sheng, whose team-high 15 points and 10 boards led the way to a much-needed victory.
With losses against Mingdao and Fu Jen Catholic on the second and third days of play, there was no doubt that Chinese Culture suffered from the absence of former team leader Lin Jin-bang, who has graduated since the tournament last year.
Fortunately for skipper Luo Hsin-liang, the team found its winning touch in a solid showing against National Kaohsiung Normal.
FU JEN 84, NAT TAIWAN SPORTS 57
Fu Jen continued its winning streak by topping National Taiwan Sports 84-57 on Saturday to remain unbeaten at 4-0.
A jam-packed home crowd saw Fu Jen set a new record for the fewest points allowed in a quarter by holding National Taiwan Sports to only five in the second quarter, leaving the eventual blowout an obvious conclusion.
All 12 of Fu Jen’s squad made it into the scoring column as coach Liu Jung-yeh decided to play his bench for nearly half of the game.
NATIONAL TAIWAN NORMAL 123, NATIONAL DONGHWA 69
Top-ranked National Taiwan Normal cruised past National Donghwa of Hualien in a 123-69 final on Saturday to improve to 3-1 over the first four games.
The defending champs greeted Donghwa with a 31-point first quarter and never looked back, shooting 58 percent from the field.
National Taiwan Normal also forced a tournament-high 30 turnovers by Donghwa, with a high-pressure defense that never let up throughout the contest.
Saturday’s other results:
• Diwan University 72, Taipei Physical Education College 70
• National Taiwan University of Arts 94, Hsin Wu College 78
• Mingdao University 94, National Taiwan College of Physical Education 77
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB