Overcoming deficits as large as 17 points in the third quarter, underdogs Mingdao University rallied to down top-seeded and previously unbeaten National Taiwan Normal University 71-66 in the Elite Eight play of the University Basketball Association (UBA) tournament on Wednesday.
The win clinched the fourth-and-last Final Four play berth for Mingdao.
Peng Jung-yen’s outstanding play in the second half — highlighted by a successful desperation shot to give Mingdao a five-point lead with less than five seconds remaining — helped his team accomplish mission impossible.
Also starring for Mingdao were Liu Cheng and Wu Ming-shien whose 34 combined points made it extremely difficult for National Taiwan Normal to focus its defensive effort on any one single Mingdao player.
FU JEN CATHOLIC 72, HSING WU 48
Fu Jen Catholic University took care of business on the final day of Elite Eight play with an easy win over Hsing Wu College to qualify for the third berth in the Final Four behind top-seeded National Taiwan Normal and Chinese Culture University.
NTUA 107, NTCPE 76
Heading into Wednesday’s play, National Taiwan University of Arts (NTUA) needed a margin of victory of at least 25 points over National Taiwan College of Physical Education (NTCPE) and a loss by Mingdao to make it into the Final Four.
While NTUA trounced their opponents, Mingdao’s win meant they missed out on the finals.
Also on Wednesday it was:
• Chinese Culture 84, Diwan 61
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