Totally outplaying their opponents, National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) trounced Fu Jen Catholic University 86-66 in the title game of the annual University Basketball Association (UBA) tournament on Tuesday evening to successfully defend their title.
NTNU came out firing by bombarding Fu Jen with seven first-quarter threes to open a 26-9 lead after the first 10 minutes of play.
Fu Jen regained their composure in the second quarter, keeping NTNU from extending their lead, going on a 15-5 run to pull within eight midway through the third.
However, game-MVP Luo Yu-chuin made sure that NTNU enjoyed a double-digit lead before the end of the third with a monstrous three-pointer and a strong drive to the hoop that dampened the Fu Jen rally.
Even though Fu Jen made another run in the fourth to cut the deficit to as little as seven points, National Taiwan Normal answered with a 12-2 run in the final three minutes to seal the victory.
“It was a big win for us in that the expectation to win it all this year was so high after last year’s title,” NTNU head coach Shih Ming-tsong said after the game.
As for Fu Jen, the 17-point hole they dug themselves into in the first quarter proved inescapable as a rollercoaster season came to a halt on a down note despite several brilliant moments including big wins over National Taiwan Normal and Chinese Culture in the preliminary rounds.
CHINESE CULTURE 74, MINGDAO 61
In the battle for the third-place finish, Chinese Culture University vented their frustration from a one-point loss to National Taiwan Normal the night before by defeating Changhua’s Mingdao University.
The win ended the season on a high note for Chinese Culture and showed a promising future for the home team as underclassmen Shih Jin-yao and Lee Wei-tseh stole the show from seniors Lu Cheng-rue and Wu Fong-cheng (both playing for the Yulon Luxgens) by tallying 18 and 13 points respectively to lead the Chinese Culture attack.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two